Coraline 2?
by muffinlover101
Summary: A sequel to the movie, I guess. Coraline's parents go on a business trip for five days and Miss Spink and Forcible are sent over to watch her. What happens when the Beldam uses this to her advantage? Coraline/Wybie later on. *first Coraline story*
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: EDIT: This was removed for a few hours due to stupid personal reasons.**

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"Coraline, what in the world are you doing down here at 3 o'clock in the morning?"

Mel Jones had walked downstairs because she couldn't sleep, only to find that her blue haired daughter was munching on some Doritos and watching TV.

Coraline's answer was muffled as she stuffed more Doritos in her mouth, looking bored and not at all tired.

"Please answer me, Coraline, in a voice that I can actually understand."

Coraline gulped, rolled her eyes and changed the channel. "I couldn't sleep, just like you. I feel as though it's pointless to lay in bed all night when you can't sleep. I could be doing better things like... eating and watching TV." She gestured over to the show she was watching. "Example A."

Mel let out a tired sigh, and started towards the direction of the kitchen. "Please be in bed in the next five minutes. You know how your father is if he hears a bunch of noise while he's trying to sleep."

"He makes enough noise when he sleep to block out anything else," Coraline said, a disappointed look crossing her face as she finished the Doritos. "I swear, I can hear him snore all the way from my room."

"Now isn't the time to argue about pointless things, Coraline." Her mother's voice came loudly from the kitchen, the loud clanks of plates being put down.

"You're making just as much noise as I am, mom."

"Go back to bed." Mel's tone was serious this time, and Coraline decided what she was doing was boring, anyway.

She sighed loudly, left the Doritos on the couch and turned off the TV. She almost crashed into Mel at the stairs, and paused to let her go first.

Before Mel walked up, she said, "Tomorrow's the first day of summer, and also the first day of your father and I's vacation. As you know, Miss Spink and Miss--"

Coraline groaned. "Yes, mom, I know they're going to be watching over me for five days. Those are also going to be the last five days of my life."

"You exaggerate too much. I thought the two old ladies downstairs were nice?"

"They are in a... creepy sort of way," Coraline mumbled, tapping her fingernails on the railing. "But really, mom, I'll die from boredom! I don't think I can take another tea leaves reading or a long story about their multiple love lives."

Mel looked confused for a moment, then shook her head. "I'm sure you'll be able to handle it. Now, lets go to bed." She gave one last look at her daughter, and then headed upstairs.

Coraline was right behind her, but something stopped her.

A noise.

No, not just a noise, a _voice_. A barely audible voice, and Coraline just managed to hear it.

_'I'll be waiting, Coraline.'_

The voice was silky sweet, and Coraline could recognize it anywhere. She hadn't moved an inch since the voice was heard, and now she wasn't sure if she was able to breathe.

Soft music followed after the voice, and it didn't speak again.

'No!' Coraline's thoughts shouted at her, allowing her to realize that she hadn't moved at all. Refusing to scream, the blue haired girl sprinted upstairs, almost knocking her mother over.

"Coraline! What are you doing?" Mel asked, trying to keep her voice low.

Coraline shook her head, trying to remember how to breathe properly again. Before her mother could ask what was wrong, she ran to her room and locked the door behind her.

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It had been three months since_ it_ happened. Coraline had been paranoid ever since, keeping various weapons under her pillow and making sure her door and window were locked at night. Phobias of buttons, spiders, and any form of needle or sharp thing had developed after escaping the Other World. The blue haired girl, who was now 12 years old, couldn't sleep well at night, and found comfort in watching TV at strange hours and making noise whenever possible.

Coraline would still wince at the memory of her mother trying to sew a button back onto her school uniform. She ended up running away in the end, hiding until her mother finally gave up and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

Coraline hated to be alone. If she were to be in a room by herself, she'd make sure there was some light or something making noise.

And now that Coraline had heard her voice again, she knew the five days with Miss Spink and Forcible weren't going to be enjoyable ones. Somehow her worst nightmare had found about her parents vacationing, and was going to use it for advantage.

Advantage to get Coraline back.

*

"Now remember, Coraline, I gave you the code to our alarm system just in case you want to set it at night. Do you know where it is?"

"Yes, mom, on the counter in the kitchen," Coraline replied, settling herself on the couch. Not that an alarm system could help me, anyway, she added silently, refusing to look at the small door in the corner.

Mel and Charlie Jones were about to leave on a buisness trip for five days, and they were making sure everything was in order. Their daughter had a reputation for trouble, at school and in the neighborhood. Three months of school and it was summer again, and Coraline's parents did not believe she had learned much in that time.

Mel glanced worriedly at her husband, then made her way to the door. "Miss Spink and Forcible will arrive in ten minutes tops, and they'll be staying here with you."

"Better here than with all the dead dogs," Coraline said, trying to look normal.

"Just please be nice to them. They're taking their own time to watch over you."

Charlie Jones walked over to the couch to give his daughter a kiss on the head, followed by Mel. Afterward, both parents said their goodbyes and left.

Coraline immediately got up and removed her 'supplies' from under all the pillows. These supplies included a flashlight, rope, a couple of neat rocks she had found with Wybie, sissors, a couple of snacks, and a pocket knife. She wasn't sure where she got the knife, but she knew it would come in handy.

"I'm not taking any chances," Coraline said out loud, attaching a tool belt that was also with the supplies to her waist. She stuffed everything in the belt and left the snacks out. "If that old hag thinks she can outsmart me, so be it."

The blue haired girl jumped at the doorbell, and the quiet voices that followed. She gave herself a mental smack for being so jumpy, then went to answer the door.

Miss Spink, Miss Forcible, and Wybie stood at the door. Both ladies were in another one of their arguments, looking totally oblivious to everything around them. Wybie's expression read nervousness, and he seemed uncomfortable in his position.

"I'm telling you Mariem, that dress was for me, not you!"

"Oh please, April, be realistic. He was obviously in love with me."

"Nonsense! I--" Miss Spink stopped in mid sentence, and turned to look at Coraline. "Oh, yes, hello Caroline, dear!"

Coraline gave a small wave. "Hey, Miss Spink and Forcible." Miss Forcible smiled in acknowledgment, and the blue haired girl turned to Wybie. "What are you doing here, Why-Were-You-Born?"

Wybie's face brightened despite the nickname. "H-hey Jonsey! I heard your parents were leaving for five days, s-so I decided to come by for a visit." He gave Coraline a small smile.

"That's nice, but I'd like to discuss something with you, in private," Coraline said, glancing at both the old ladies who had surprisingly stopped arguing.

Miss Forcible turned to Miss Spink, an amused look crossing her face.

"Discuss something? O-kay." Wybie scratched his head, looking slightly confused.

Miss Forcible waved her hand in the air. "Yes, yes, go discuss. We'll be over here." Miss Spink agreed, and they both went over in the direction of the kitchen.

"I swear, if they think I'm going to admit my undying love for you, I don't think I'll be able to survive these next five days," Coraline muttered, grabbing Wybie by the arm. "C'mon."

"They think that?" Wybie asked, stumbling as Coraline dragged him up the stairs.

"Um, yeah, it's kinda obvious."

"I d-didn't get the hint."

Coraline sighed as though she were tired as they made it to the top of the stairs. "Of course you didn't. Men are clueless." She paused, then continued, "I don't think I can spend much more time with those crazy ladies. Now I'm starting to think like them." She shook her head, and lead Wybie to her room.

"I think they're k-kinda nice," Wybie added, as Coraline flopped on her bed.

Coraline put a finger to her chin. "Hm. Once you get past the creepy conversations and clothes, yes." She sat up, and looked at her friend, serious. "Remember when I told you about the Other World, and it took you forever to believe me? Well, I had to show you the key and everything, and I still don't think you believe me that much."

Wybie seemed nervous again. "Oh yeah, about the Other Mother and stuff."

"Please don't say her name," Coraline said, a scowl on her face. "That's not even her real name, and now I'm not even sure she has a name. It's best just to call her the psycho spider witch hag that almost sewed freaking buttons into my eyes."

"Um, y-yeah, Jonsey, about that... Are you sure you didn't dream that?"

Coraline tried to prevent herself from blowing up again. Wybie should know by now that when he questions the nightmare of a world, Coraline gives him a loud lecture and ends up kicking him out. Some shoe throwing is involved often.

"No, Wybie, I didn't dream the crap. We've been over this more times then I can remember. And I'm telling you this because..." Coraline paused, looking to the floor. "She's back."

"What do y-you mean... she's back?" Wybie asked, on the verge of leaving. When Coraline began talking about buttons and evil spider ladies, he knew it was time to go.

"Just what I said. She's back. The Beldam--or psycho spider witch hag--has somehow found out that my parents are leaving for a few days and decided to use it to her advantage." Coraline looked straight into Wybie's eyes. "I'm serious, Wybie. She's getting her power back, and now she's planning on how to drag me back there."

"Don't you think you should forget about a dream after a while? Or a-at least go to therapy?"

Coraline decided it was time to blow up. "Ugh! You're never any help! Can't you just believe me? I'm slowly going insane everyday and I have no one to talk about it to. You know a therapist won't believe me, my parents think I'm crazy, and now so do you!"

Wybie was quiet for a moment, then said, "I'll come see you everyday, if you'd like. If this... Other World is real and like you say it is, we're in big trouble."

"Uh, yeah, that's what I've been trying to tell you." Coraline rubbed her head, suddenly exhausted. "Look, if you don't believe me or want to leave, go ahead," she pointed to her tool belt, "I've got all the help I need without you."

Wybie rubbed the back of his neck, glanced at the tool belt, then back up at Coraline. "I'll help you."

Coraline seemed slightly relieved. "Just promise me that--"

"On one condition," Wybie interrupted, holding one finger up.

"And what's that?"

"You show me the Other World and everything that's in it."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I decided to continue, because I actually got reviews. **

_**leryt: Yes, it probably would have been better if I made it winter break. I constantly make idiotic mistakes while writing, so expect more.**_

_**EG Water: Thanks! I'm glad you like the idea!**_

_**secret: Yes, Wybie is crazy. Here's the next chapter for you!**_

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Coraline didn't know what to say about Wybie's request. She never thought about actually going in the Other World and fighting off the Beldam again. The tools and weapons she had were kept just in case anything escaped from the door, not to go in it again!

Before she could answer, Miss Forcible's voice came from downstairs:

"Caroline and cute frizzy haired friend! Your luncheon is prepared!"

Wybie turned bright red and Coraline couldn't help but laugh.

"Come on 'cute frizzy haired friend'. I'm starving," Coraline said, trying to lighten the mood and get off the Other World subject. Everytime she would get on the subject, she got suddenly cold, and couldn't get the image of button eyes and Other Wybie's sad face out of her mind.

The idea of lunch blocked out the terrible images. Coraline and Wybie made it down the stairs, and headed to the kitchen. Coraline noticed the disappointed look on Miss Spink's face when she realized they weren't holding hands, and then her eyes moved to something else.

The food.

Coraline had no idea what anything was. Most of it was slimy and mixed with other foods that made it look like vomit or some scary looking poison. She stood stiff as a board, afraid to get closer to the food.

"Uh, Jonesy?" Wybie whispered, getting close to Coraline. "D-do you have any idea what's on the table?"

"No clue," Coraline whispered back, trying to keep her face neutral. She cleared her throat, and made her way to the nearest chair. She planted a forced smile on her face and said, "This looks great, Miss Spink and Forcible. Might I ask what all of this is?"

Miss Forcible looked proud of herself. "Why, it's an old family recipe! Our little angels love it when we fix all this downstairs. Why, Harold can't get enough of our wonderful food."

_'Of course he can't, he's a dog,' _Coraline thought, glancing nervously down at the plate in front of her. It looked like something Cat would throw up, mixed with some grass and other unrecognizable substances. She turned her attention to Wybie, who looked just as disgusted with his food.

"Go ahead dearies, you don't need permission to start eating," Miss Spink replied, settling down herself. When Miss Forcible sat down beside her, it caused the table to shake and Coraline had to hold her plate to keep it from falling on her. Wybie noticed the table's movement too late, and the goop on his plate spilled all over his jacket.

Coraline clamped a hand to her mouth, tiny giggles coming from behind the hand.

"Oh, man!" Wybie said loudly, holding his arms out so not another part of his body would touch the food. His nose wrinkled from the smell, and he had to hold back the urge to gag.

Miss Forcible got back up, causing the table to shake again. "Oh, it's quite alright, dear, let me just get you some more."

"No!" Wybie squeaked quickly, looking desperate. The two women looked back at him. "U-uh, I think my grandma is fixing some lunch at home. I'll go over there to save you the troubled of having to fix some m-more."

"Alright," Miss Spink said. "Have her clean you up, too."

Wybie thought it was best not to say anything, and he made his way toward the front door. He glanced at Coraline before he left, and she mouthed 'Lucky!' before folding her arms.

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Coraline had made up a lame excuse to pass the food, and the two old ladies believed her. She said she wasn't very hungry, and had to start on a long summer novel before school started. Although Coraline did indeed have a novel to finish, she'd save it for the last week of summer.

She sighed and sat down on her bed, desperately wanting the two beings downstairs to leave. Yes, they were her protection from the Beldam, but she wasn't sure if she could take anything else. The food, the stories, and she thought she overheard the two talking about bringing the dogs over.

_'How can I possibly survive either way?'_

"Caroline, dear! We're off to the store to get some ingredients. I'm sure you'll be fine without us for a little while!" Miss Spink's voice came slightly muffled from downstairs, and the sound of a door being shut was heard soon after.

Coraline shut her eyes. "Oh crap."

A barely audible meow was heard behind her, and she turned to face the window. There was Cat, looking frantic and clawing on the glass.

Coraline got to her feet, and opened the window just enough so Cat could slip through. He squeezed through the opening with no problem, and jumped to the floor. He then gazed up at the blue haired girl in front of him, trying to tell her something.

"Of course I know why you're here," Coraline said, able to understand what the black feline was trying to tell her. "She's back... right?"

Cat licked his paw, and moved his head in a nodding-like motion.

"How did she figure out? Can she overhear conversations in the Other World? Is she still... spying on me?" Coraline shuddered at the thought of the Beldam still watching her, spying on every move she made in the house.

The cat in front of her merely blinked his eyes, meowed, and started padding out of the room.

"So much for answers," Coraline muttered, staring after him. She decided to follow, knowing Cat probably was about to show her something important.

Once she got downstairs, there was Cat, watching the small door intently. His ears twitched, and he crouched down.

Coraline was confused until she heard the soft lullaby coming from inside the door, and she froze immediately. It sounded almost unreal, and the tune seemed to beg her to follow it. She had heard the Other Mother hum it a few times before, and she wondered if the psycho spider witch hag had made it up especially for her victims. The song was persuasive, as if that's what the Other Mother used to lure children deeper into her trap.

Before Coraline could get distracted by the music, Cat hissed. The hair on his back stood up, and the sharp teeth in his mouth were bared. She soon realized that the song had stopped, and was replaced by an uncomfortable silence.

"I guess that's proof then," Coraline whispered, turning her gaze to the floor. The Beldam was back, and more powerful than last time. If the blue haired girl was able to hear anything from the Other World outside the door, that meant trouble. She wasn't able to before.

Cat turned to Coraline, flicked his tail and stared at her as if to say 'stay away from the door at all times.' Coraline nodded even though Cat hadn't said anything, and the black cat darted up the stairs.

_'I'll be here, waiting.'_

Coraline tried her best to ignore the soft voice, and ran up the stairs after Cat.

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_She couldn't move as if she were bound to the floor by invisible chains. The floorboards of the house she was in looked familiar, and she soon realized it was her own house. _

_Barely audible footsteps were heard behind her, the tiny swish of clothing fibric following the movements. It was if the stranger were circling her, and humming soon came after._

_Moving her eyes was extremely difficult, and felt as though they were being pulled back when she tried to focus on her surroundings. In front of her was an empty burlap sack, laying lifeless on the floor. Grains of sand were around the sack. She resisted the urge to scream when she saw what the sack was wearing._

_Other Wybie's clothes. She attempted to move her eyes again, and saw that there were many sacks around her that were wearing human clothing. Other Father, Other Bobinsky, and both of the Other ladies that had preformed a show for her._

_When she saw the next being on the floor, her heart seemed to be ripping itself apart inside of her._

_Wybie was motionless on the floor, and a trail of blood was coming from his face. Buttons eyes were where his kind eyes were supposed to be, and a permanate creepy grin was plastered on his face._

_'Sleep, Coraline. Everything will be better if you do...'_

_A button was getting closer to her face, as well as a tiny, sharp needle._

Coraline's eyes snapped open, and a horrible scream came from her mouth. She desperately touched her face to see if it was still intact, and when she touched her eyelids she knew she was safe. A thin sheet of sweat had formed on her forehead, and her breath came in raspy gasps.

Coraline finally noticed where she was, and realized she was tangled in her bedsheets on the floor, and the few picture frames of her family and friends were laying beside her.

_'What did I do?' _Coraline thought to herself, trying to untangle herself from the blanket cacoon on the floor. As she tried to comprehend how she was able to knock down both picture frames from opposite nightstands, her might ended up wandering back to the dream.

_'No, a nightmare.' _She corrected herself quickly, finally getting out of the mess of sheets. She stood up, and saw the blinding morning light coming from her window. She groaned, and knew it was better if she just got up.

_Wybie! _

That one name grabbed a hold of her thoughts. Was he alright? _'Of course he is, it was a dream,' _the logical side of her mind told her, as she stepped out of her bedroom.

Coraline's mind was definitely trying to tell her something but... what?

_'I can't let Wybie go in the Other World. If I have to go back there, I'll need to go alone.'_

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**A/N: I'm not sure when I'll get the next chapter up, because I've hit slight writer's block with this story. What else is new?**

**You know... That review button is really shiny...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Another random chapter, I know. As you can tell, it takes me a while to get a story on the right track.**

_**Nausicaa of the Spirits: Unfortunately, the Other Mother's brain doesn't work that way.**_

_**leryt: Wybie needs to comb his hair, doesn't he? **_

_**secret: Once again, he needs to do something with his hair. And thank you!**_

_**Queen Lucy of Narnia: Of course it's shiny. Why wouldn't it be? THANK YOU! And I guess they are.**_

_**Hawk's-GaL4077: That it is. And I'm glad you like it! **_

_**EG Water: I'm glad you like the story, but sadly I do not enjoy OCs. They tend to destroy the fanfictions they're thrown in.**_

_**joe: I DID. 8D**_

_**Kaitlyn: I indeed kept writing!**_

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Coraline had told Miss Spink and Forcible that she wasn't hungry when she entered the kitchen. The two old ladies slept in their own flat, for they thought their dogs would be loney without them. (Much to Coraline's delight... and dismay)

"Nonsense, Caroline!" Miss Forcible had said, taking an unknown substance out of a frying pan. "Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Now, I suggest you--"

"No, no. It's okay Miss Forcible. Uh... Wybie's gramma is making some stuff up at his house, and I promised I'd meet him there early," Coraline replied quickly, slinging her messenger bag over her shoulder. Although she had run out of excuses, she made it to the door.

Coraline prayed the two ladies would fall for the whole love thing again, and they did.

Miss Spink tried to hide her slight smile, but the blue-haired girl noticed it right away. "Alright, deary, just be back by noon."

_'Not the best time to come back here, but it'll do,' _Coraline thought, tugging on the knob and swinging the door open. "Okay, I'll be back later."

When the 12-year-old made it outside, she took a deep breath. Being out of the house meant she was away from the psychopaths inside, as well the tiny door nearby. Inhaling the fresh summer air reminded Coraline of exploring, and the fun times she had with Wybie.

_'Speaking of Wybie, I need to talk to him about the situation we're in.' _

The dream she had the night before crept back into her mind. The picture of Wybie, motionless on the floor with shiny button eyes and blood made Coraline shudder. If the Beldam was thinking of getting rid of the closest thing Coraline had to family first, she couldn't let Wybie near the door.

Before she could take another step, Mr. Bobinsky seemed to fly out of no where, and landed right in the patch of grass beside her. She covered her mouth to keep from screaming, but soon found her composure.

"Er, h-hello Mr. B," she stuttered, looking up at the tall blue man.

Mr. Bobinsky smiled, and patted her on the head. "Hello, Caroline. Circus mice have message for you."

Coraline froze, taking her eyes off the crazy man beside her. They soon lingered over to the stairs up to his flat. The mice had another message for her? Even though these jumping mice couldn't talk, they were right about the small door in her living room. What could it possibly be this time?

Coraline found interest in kicking the dirt under her feet. "Oh? What did they say?"

Mr. Bobinsky crouched to her height, and she immediately inched away. "They say terrible danger is ahead. When mice talk, they talk about buttons and evil things escaping from door. Caroline is also in conversations."

"Escaping from door...?" Coraline asked, snapping her head back up to him.

The blue man nodded. "The mice like to talk about door. They seem to know about you and button people inside door. This mean anything anything to you?"

"No." Coraline felt sick after her answer, and tried to shoo the feeling away by picking the grass around her.

"Mice must be confused. Stay away from door; keep you safe."

Coraline nodded hesitantly, backing away toward Wybie's house. "I will."

"Das vadanya, Caroline."

After those words, Mr. Bobinsky started doing multiple flips back up to his flat.

The blue haired girl then sprinted off into the woods, finding no comfort near the Pink Palace or its inhabitants.

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"One more scrapbook, Coraline?"

Coraline glanced in Wybie's direction, a smirk crossing her face. "One more can't hurt, Mrs. Lovat."

For the past half hour that Coraline had been at Wybie's home, his gramma got out almost every scrapbook that she owned, showing things to Coraline like Wybie's first bath and tricycle. Wybie had tried to stop all of the embarrassment by yanking the books out of his gramma's hands, covering the pictures up, or covering Coraline's eyes. All of these things got him a good slap across the face and a long lecture.

Now, he was sitting nearby, his face red and his eyes on the floor.

"And this concludes Wybourne's life up 'til now," Mrs. Lovat said, closing the final book. A loud sigh came from Wybie, and Coraline had to cover her mouth to keep from laughing. "Now, does anyone want a snack?"

"No thanks," Coraline replied, getting up from the sofa. "Wybie's been wanting to show me this video game he's been talking about and I really want to see it."

Wybie's head snapped back to Coraline. "I do no--" He squeaked when Coraline punched him in the arm, and scooted farther away from her. "U-uh, yeah, lets go, _Caroline_." He spat the mispronunciation of her name, and started off toward his room.

Coraline glared in his direction, stuck out her tongue, and then smiled at Mrs. Lovat. "We won't be long."

Mrs. Lovat smiled warmly back, for she had not seen her hit Wybie. "Have fun."

When she made it to Wybie's room, she shut the door, locked it, and turned to him. Wybie was cowering in the corner, looking as though he was going to get devoured any second.

Coraline sighed. "Yes, Wybie, I hate when people pronounce my name wrong. That doesn't mean I'm going to kill you... anytime soon." She smiled teasingly at him, but frowned when she saw that he hadn't moved. "Alright, I won't kill you at all. There's more important--"

"That's not w-why I look like I want to crap myself," he said, scratching his head. "I... Found something. Last night."

Coraline raised an eyebrow. "What did you find?"

Wybie fiddled with his thumbs, then looked back up at her. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"Of course, Wybie! It must be important if you're this freaked out."

"Alright." Wybie got up from the spot he was sitting in, and made it over to his bed. He crouched down, and began looking under the bed for something. He was there a few moments before he pulled a plastic bag out, and held it up. "It's in h-here."

Coraline scrunched her eyebrows together, then snatched the bag out of his hands. She poked her head inside, and screamed at what she saw.

A doll.

A doll made to look like herself.

Wybie rushed over and clamped his hand to her mouth as she dropped the bag.

"Coraline, don't scream! My gramma's in the other room, and you'll give her a heart a-attack," Wybie whispered.

Even though she was blushing due to the closeness of Wybie's face, Coraline's eyes shone with fear. It was impossible. She had got rid of the doll, so Wybie couldn't have found it. Although the doll's hair was matted and the fabric was covered in mud, Coraline knew this doll was another copy.

"Promise you won't scream again?"

Coraline nodded, her eyes on the plastic bag. It didn't move, but the blue haired girl wouldn't have been surprised if the doll got up and started talking to her.

Wybie let his hand off of Coraline's mouth.

Coraline immediately burst into fast sentences, "T-this isn't possible, Wybie! She's supposed to be weak, even dead! That doll... needs to be destroyed. Right now! I can't stand to look at that bag. What if it comes out and eats us? Wybie, we have to--"

"Coraline, _calm down! _It's okay. Nothing's going to happen."

She glared at him. "Are you stupid? Yes, a lot of things are about to happen! If you come anywhere near me and my house, you'll get buttons sewn into your eyes, killed, and eaten by the evil psycho witch hag!"

"What are you talking about?" Wybie asked, putting a hand to her shoulder. She flinched away. "I'm near you right now, and nothing has happened."

"I _mean, _you can't come with me to the Other World."

"Why not? After I found the doll by the old well, I finally believed--"

Coraline's eyes grew wide. "You found it _where? _Wybie, you know that's where we put _her _hand!"

Wybie winced, and stepped away. "Y-yes, I know that now."

"This means she somehow got her hand back without us noticing, and put the doll there so you'd find it!" Coraline sat down in the middle of the floor, holding her head. "She's been spying on both of us. All along."

"H-how has she been spying on us?"

"I'll explain later. But the important thing is, is that you can't come with me to the Other World. I know I have to go and stop her before she escapes." _'According to the mice, I do,' _she added silently. "I h-had a nightmare last night. She had killed you... blood was everywhere... all of the Others she made for me were in the house, and I couldn't move as she was getting ready to sew buttons in my eyes."

"It was just a dream. I-I don't think--"

Coraline suddenly got up, and pointed a finger at him. "It wasn't _just _a dream, Wybie! All dreams have meanings, no matter how stupid they seem."

Wybie sat down beside her, staring into space. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

Coraline turned to face him, her expression serious. "We--I--have to go back. No matter what. She's going to escape if I don't... destroy her once and for all, and then she'll terrorize the real world, getting rid of everyone in this area first."

"I have to come with you."

Coraline bit her lip, and picked at her fingernails. "I'm not sure... After what I saw, I can't--"

"You can't beat her alone," Wybie said, sounding sure of himself. "I don't c-care what you saw. If this... Beldam witch is as evil and powerful as you say she is, you'll need help."

Coraline took a deep breath. "Okay. Besides, I still promised to let you see the Other World."

Wybie smiled slightly, despite the situation. "I-I guess so."

Before they could say anything else, Mrs. Lovat's voice came from outside the door: "Coraline? Miss Spink and Forcible want you to return home now."

"Okay!" Coraline replied, loudly enough so that the elderly lady could hear her. As she retrieved her bag, she said, "Meet me at my house. Tomorrow. 9:30 AM. I overheard Miss Spink saying something about going to the theater at that time. We've only got five days, and we need to get moving before something bad happens."

Wybie just looked at her for a moment, a loss for words. He nodded after that, his eyes going back to the floor.

Coraline took one last glance at him before exiting the room.

The last thing she expected to happen, happened. Mrs. Lovat stopped her at the front door, her expression anxious.

"I overheard you and my grandson, and I want to be apart of your plan. My sister was killed and taken by that witch, and I want to help you."

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**A/N: I don't know. Wybie's grandma is epic, so I must have her be apart of this story. And besides, she's aware of the Other World because Coraline explained it to her at the end of the movie, right? (puts a hand over your mouth) RIGHT. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: After a bunch of 4-H crap, vacation, and other pointless things to do I have finally updated. **

**NOTE: I wanted to include the rat song in this story because it wasn't included in the movie. The song was one of the only things I liked in the book, so I felt like it should be somewhere in the movie universe.**

_**EG Water: Yes, I did, but I don't think I'll end up using it.**_

_**Hawk's-GaL4077: I get my mouth covered a lot, due to the fact that I talk very loud. And thank you!**_

_**IFacebookedYourMum: I understand. This story is very random, and I don't like it myself. Thanks, anyway!**_

_**yarra: It's good to know that someone thinks my story is epic.**_

_**Ollie Troup: Thank you for the review! You're very kind!**_

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The time after Mrs. Lovat's statement seemed to tick by slowly.

Wybie had come out of his room to join his grandma and Coraline for a long discussion, as well as an uneaten snack.

"After you told me about the Other World and everything that happened to you, Coraline, it all made too much sense," Mrs. Lovat had said, shaking her head. "Martha always woke up talking about an interesting lady who looked just like our mother. She would go on for hours about how this mysterious person had buttons for eyes and would play with her unlike her real mother."

"And you didn't believe her." Coraline had stared at her full glass of milk, studying its contents.

"My whole family didn't believe Martha. Even though we were twins, I still acted older and thought I knew better. I soon dismissed these stories for dreams. Even when she disappeared for good, not once did I think the stories about button eyes and wonderful creatures had something to do with it."

Wybie had stayed silent the whole time, trying to take all of the conversation in. He knew what he was in for now, and there was no way he could get out of it.

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Once Coraline said goodbye to the Lovats, her walk home was not an enjoyable one.

_'What would it feel like to lose a loved one to the Beldam?' _Coraline asked herself silently, keeping her eyes on the mud below her feet. Her parents almost had to feel this unknown feeling of loss to something so horrible, and Coraline couldn't even imagine it. Unaware that your child or family member was killed in your own house seemed too unreal. If someone were to find this out... Coraline could not think of a feeling that might take place.

Mrs. Lovat wanted to come help Coraline for a reason, and it wasn't a good one. Revenge was what they all wanted, and the blue haired girl could do nothing about it. It had to be done.

"Caroline, we would just like to inform you we're leaving for the theater tomorrow at nine thirty," Miss Spink told Coraline when she arrived. "Is it alright if we leave you here alone, deary?"

Coraline didn't bother to correct anyone about her name anymore, so she just nodded. "I think I'll be fine, Miss Spink."

Miss Forcible glanced at Miss Spink, and went back to doing the dishes. Miss Spink took a seat at the kitchen table, reading a novel that looked ancient.

All was well... or so it seemed.

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_Squeak!_

That tiny sound made Coraline wake up with a jolt. She blinked a few times to make the blurriness of her surroundings disappear, and threw the blanket off of her upper body.

Her heart seemed to stop, and she was frozen in her awkward laying position.

_'Oh my God.'_

Two piercing red buttons eyes stared back up at her, unblinking. Coraline was surprised to see that these eyes belonged to a large rat instead of the cute little mice that used to visit her those few months before.

Coraline told herself to breathe, but she seemed frozen in time staring at the disturbing rat who wouldn't move.

The creature below her cocked its head to the side, and then opened its mouth:

_We are small but we are many_

_We are many but we are small_

_We were here before you rose_

_We will be here when you fall_

The rat's voice was almost inaudible, and Coraline had to make sure that she actually heard it sing a song. The voice sounded old, almost inhuman and Coraline had to suck in another breath of air.

Coraline's thoughts soon came back to her, and a small voice in the back of her head shouted _'The key!'. _Her eyes grew wide. The key! Where was it, and how did the Beldam manage to get it back?

"W-what are you doing here?" Coraline managed to say, her hand fumbling around under her pillow in search of her tool belt. Her head whipped around to the direction of her hand, and she soon realized neither the belt nor any of her supplies were with her. She turned back to her door and saw that the rat was running away.

"Oh no you don't!" she said strongly this time, hopping out of bed and sprinting after it. She had to kill the rat somehow, for it could not return to the Other World and tell the Beldam any newly required information.

_'I need something, anything to throw at it!' _Coraline thought, stumbling down the staircase after the rat. She screamed when she slipped on one of the stairs, and she was soon sent tumbling down to the first floor.

The blue haired girl cried out in frustration as she hit the bottom step, her now bleeding hand not helping the situation. She whirled her head around to the living room, where she saw the rat crawling toward the door.

Coraline quickly got up, and darted toward the spot the rat was currently in. She dove in a final attempt to capture the creature, but missed by a few inches.

The rat squeaked again, and jumped into the wooden material of the door. Instead of crashing into the wood, the rat went through it as though there wasn't a door there at all.

Coraline braced herself, for she thought the door was going to burst open, and there would be the Beldam, staring maliciously down at her, buttonless eye sockets burning into her soul.

It didn't happen. The door stayed closed and not a hum or soft singing was heard. Coraline cautiously made her way to the key hole, and peered through it.

Darkness.

The 12-year-old girl refused to go in the Other World alone now, and decided it was best to save her questions for the next day.

Coraline made her way back up to her room, her eyes never leaving the spot where the rat had disappeared.

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"Jonsey, you haven't said a word since you came to my house."

Coraline, Wybie, and Mrs. Lovat had left the Lovat Residence in silence. The small talk that took place in the house had nothing to do with their mission, and now Wybie decided to speak up.

"Do you have a problem with it?" Coraline asked, her head lowered toward the ground.

Wybie titled his head to the side. "In a w-way, yes. I think we should be talking about what we're about to face."

Coraline sighed, and shook her head. "Wybie, you don't understand. My lungs feel like they're going to explode, and I can barely breathe. This is really hard for me to do. Especially since--" She stopped, and kicked a small rock at her feet.

"Since what, Coraline?" Mrs. Lovat asked, trailing behind. Coraline turned to the elderly lady, and saw that she looked genuinely concerned.

"I...It's hard for me to go back. I witnessed the deaths of Other Father and Other Wybie while I was there. They were actually... very concerned about my safety."

Wybie stared at Coraline, his face blank. She had mentioned Other Wybie while talking to his grandmother the day before, and she seemed very attached to this person by the way she talked.

Mrs. Lovat put a hand to her shoulder. "I understand completely, Coraline. I'm sure it's very hard to experience something like this."

Coraline nodded slowly, and turned her gaze back to the Pink Palace.

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Once they arrived inside the Jones' flat, Coraline cautiously led the Lovats to the living room. She hadn't said much more since they walked down to the Pink Palace, and she wasn't planning on saying anything else.

Coraline's eyes immediately went to the door near the fireplace, and she took a deep breath.

_'Come on, you can do this. Yes, there IS a horrible spider monster inside, but you have to do it. For everyone's safety, you have to get rid of the Beldam,' _Coraline told herself, as she inched over to the little entrance. She was surprised when the door opened when she gave it a small tug, for she had forgotten all about the key and what had become of it.

Coraline looked back at the Lovats, and Mrs. Lovat gave her a reassuring smile. Wybie merely stared at her, not knowing what to do.

The blue haired girl decided to go for it, and flung the door open.

Bricks.

"W-what?" was all Coraline could say, as she stared wide-eyed at the bricked up entrance to the Other World. She touched a couple of bricks with a finger, and turned back to Wybie and Mrs. Lovat. "This is wrong. The tunnel... it's supposed to be here... she wants me back!"

Wybie crouched down beside her, studying the bricks. "W-why are these here?"

Coraline glared at him, suddenly frustrated. "How am I supposed to know? The Beldam does all sorts of crazy-psycho things so I never know what she's planning. This doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe we should come back later," Mrs. Lovat suggested, still standing up. "Perhaps this is a bad time to try to go to the Other World."

Coraline looked at each Lovat before sighing and getting up. "Maybe you're right. It's believable."

Wybie stood up as well, and backed away from the door. "Does this... Beldam do weird stuff like this all the time?"

"Of course she does. She likes to mess with peoples' minds."

Mrs. Lovat picked up her purse that she had put on the couch. "I'm sorry we can't stay here right now, Coraline. Wybourne and I will be back in a few hours. Do you think you'll be safe?"

Bad things happened when Coraline was alone, but the blue haired girl nodded.

Mrs. Lovat smiled weakly. "Okay. If you need me or Wybie, just call this number." The elderly woman dug in her purse for a moment, then handed Coraline a tiny piece of scrap paper. "Do you have a cell phone?"

"Yes," Coraline replied, pulling her bulky phone from her pocket. "It used to be my mom's old phone, but at least it works."

Mrs. Lovat nodded, and turned to Wybie. "Lets go, Wybourne. You need to help me with the grocerys _and _you still haven't watered the plants."

Wybie groaned in protest, but followed his grandma out the door. Before doing so, he turned to Coraline. "Listen to my Gramma, o-okay? You really need to call us if something happens." He gave her a small wave, and then left.

Coraline slowly waved back, even though Wybie had already shut the door behind him.

A frightened meow came from behind Coraline, and she turned to see Cat padding in from the kitchen. His icy blue eyes were wide, and he honestly looked afraid.

Coraline squatted down to comfort the black cat. "I-I know they left. But I'm brave enough to take care of--"

An unseen force seemed to pull Coraline from Cat. The blue haired girl yelped in surprise, but started screaming once she saw where she was being pulled to. Cat hissed, and latched onto Coraline's right arm.

Coraline winced at the pain while still screaming, and desperately tried to claw at the floor. The strong force pulled her back even further toward the door. Her eyes seemed to bulge out of her head as part of her legs went through the bricks with ease. Cat hissed again and dug his claws deeper into Coraline's skin.

Once Coraline was completely pulled through the door, she seemed to fly backwards with Cat on her arm through the tunnel. Broken sail boats, balls, and many other assorted toys whooshed behind her.

Coraline groaned in pain when her head hit the next door hard, not going through it. Her body fell limp beside the door, and Cat carefully unlatched himself from her arm.

Coraline's breathing came in desperate gasps as she tried to crawl back through the tunnel, her now bleeding head and arm keeping her from doing so.

Another invisible force threw her backwards at the door again. Coraline gasped as the wind was knocked out of her, and all she could do was lay there. Cat stayed wide-eyed in front of her, the fur on his back standing up.

The door Coraline was lying against suddenly opened, and the click of heels was heard.

"Oh my dear, sweet, Coraline. What has happened to you?"

Coraline's raspy breathing stopped. She painfully turned her head to look up, and once she saw what was there, regretted moving in the first place.

The Beldam stared down at the blue haired girl, her bright red lips curled into a twisted version of a smile.

"Welcome home."

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**You people have no idea how much fun it is to write for the Beldam. She is my favorite character, after all. She's just... such an awesome villain!**

**I know this chapter was weird, but now I will change the subject and make a pathetic attempt to get you guys to review this story. **

**That button... will never stop being shiny. Seriously! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: To make this story less boring than it already is, I've decided to use Omniscient Third Person for this chapter, so you will know what's going on with two different people. YES.**

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The pain from Coraline's head seemed to block out all other thoughts. While part of her brain shouted _'RUN! You've got to leave!', _it soon became foggy and Coraline could only stay limp and wonder what was going on.

Although she had the vague feeling of being carried, she could do nothing about it.

_'She left us here, and ate up our lives...'_

The Ghost Children's quiet voices seemed to whisper in her ear, the sadness in their voices making Coraline's heart sink. What was going on? Her heart started to race, and she searched for the setting she was in. She still couldn't see, and felt lifeless. Like a ghost.

_'Did she do this to you?'_

Coraline's senses suddenly came back to her, and it seemed as though a heavy fog was cleared from her eyes. She brought her fingertips up to her face, and was relieved to feel that it was still in tact. She slowly did the same to her eyes, terrified that she would feel cold black buttons instead of soft, human eyelids.

Eyelids. She exhaled deeply, and began to look around. She was in some sort of a musty basement, and her body was leaning up against the far wall. Blood from being thrashed against the door was on her arm and was dripping on the floor, and she knew her head looked the same.

Sewing machines and various cabnets and storage boxes filled the room, leaving only a tight, cramped spot for Coraline to sit in. A tiny lightbulb dangling from the ceiling was the only light source.

Coraline winced as she looked up to see a window. Although she couldn't get up, she could see that it was night outside, as it always was in the Other World.

"Oh, you're awake."

The blue haired girl froze, and refused to turn around from where she was looking at the window. _'I already saw her once, why scare the crap outta myself and look again?' _she thought to herself. _'And... why did she look normal?'_

"You must feel horrible after what happened in the tunnel." Coraline could sense the smirk in the Beldam's voice, and clenched her teeth. "I'll just let you rest, darling... It's too bad, you're friend really wanted to see you."

_'Other Wybie!'_

Coraline spun around, completely disgusted that the Beldam would even mention her creation after what she did to him. Her heart seemed to sink when she saw what her worst nightmare was holding.

Other Wybie's trench coat.

"What did you do to _him_?" Coraline said as loudly as she could, staying put on the floor. _'He can't be alive, she's probably just acting like a b--'_

The Beldam put a finger up, as though she could read Coraline's thoughts. "Nothing, dear. I just can't allow you to see him like this. You need your rest."

Coraline tried to get up, but failed miserably. "You're the hag who did this crap to me! What kind of _mother _would hurt her own child, and lock her in some workshop where she sews buttons into their eyes? No _real_ mother I know!"

The Beldam's smile disappeared from her face as though someone slapped her. She clenched her teeth and looked like she was going to growl, "I'll return later for your real punishment." She walked out of the workshop, and closed the door behind her. The click of the lock signaled that Coraline was trapped... again.

"_Ugh!_" Coraline buried her head in her hands, feeling the sting of tears welling up. '_Why can't she just leave me alone?' _What could the Beldam possibly do to her when she got back? Turn into a psycho spider again and eat her? She felt like throwing up when she realized she couldn't escape if that were so.

A tap on the window above her distracted her from the tears. _'Maybe I can get out through the window,' _she thought. It took her a few moments to get up, the pain in her arm barely allowing her to push herself off the floor.

Coraline reached her hands out to try to open the window, but her eye caught something else.

A distorted version of Other Wybie stood on the other side.

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"Gramma, are you _sure _Coraline's okay?"

"She hasn't called, Wybourne."

Wybie glared in Mrs. Lovat's direction, not convinced. He had the cell phone in his hand for about an hour after they got back from shopping, and he just now put it down on the table beside the couch.

"Well, y-yeah, but what if something happened to her and she doesn't have her cell phone now?" Wybie said, his gaze still on his grandma's phone. Weird stuff usually happened to Coraline when no one was around, and he had the feeling that something did happen to her indeed.

Mrs. Lovat stopped doing the dishes, and looked over at her grandson. She gave him a soft smile and said, "Lets wait a half hour, then we'll go to the Pink Palace and check. Does that sound alright?"

Wybie stared at his grandma for a moment, then nodded, defeated. "Oh, okay."

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"_Wybie!?_"

Coraline screamed before she said his name, and was shortly 'shushed' by the disturbing creature behind the glass.

Other Wybie was missing a button eye, and his features on his face looked broken or if someone had decided to move them around. He no longer wore a stitched on smile, but part of his frizzy hair was pulled off. He was wearing a holey white T-shirt and ripped jeans. His only hand was on the window, tapping it softly.

"What happened?" Coraline said, her voice softer this time. She automatically looked behind her shoulder, then back at the glass.

Other Wybie shook his head, and pried the window open with ease. Before Coraline could ask how in the world he was alive, he pulled her through the small opening and onto the grass. Coraline winced at the pain, but tried to be as quiet as possible.

"How are you still alive?" Coraline had a slight smile planted on her face, despite the situation she was in.

Other Wybie shut the window, and sat on the grass beside Coraline. He merely stared at her, looking sad.

Coraline tilted her head, doing the same. "Well, I've got to protect you, anyway. I won't let her hurt you anymore." She gently touched his face, and he flinched away as she did so. "What's wrong?"

Other Wybie suddenly grabbed her by the arm and started sprinting in a random direction. Before he was able to take her far, Coraline was able to yank herself free and stand in front of him.

"No. I can't leave, Wybie! I have to get rid of her before she kills me and escapes to the real world. Even if she doesn't escape, she might still capture children when I'm gone," Coraline explained, rubbing her arm, feeling uncomfortable.

Other Wybie touched his only button eye, and frowned.

Coraline sighed, stepping closer to him. "I know you're worried, but I don't even think I can get out of here. She's... more powerful than before."

The twisted version of her friend turned his gaze to the ground, not knowing what to do. He kicked a pebble and rubbed his arm.

"I don't know what to do."

"Perhaps you're not trying hard enough."

Coraline didn't have to look to realize that Cat had materialized at her feet. She scrunched her eyebrows together and stared angerily at him.

"Why didn't you do anything?! You just sat there as the Beldam beat me up and took me inside!" Coraline answered loudly, covering her mouth after she did so. She lowered her voice, "I could have been killed."

"You didn't respond to my previous statement." Cat padded over to Other Wybie, just as he did while around the real Wybie.

Coraline continued to glare at the black feline. "How was I supposed to? You never make any sense. If you do, it's impossible to do what you tell me."

Cat stared at her lazily. "I mean, you cannot defeat her by merely escaping again."

"I happen to know that, thank you very much."

Other Wybie shook his head, and pointed at Cat as though he were telling Coraline to keep listening. Coraline raised an eyebrow, and continued to look at Cat.

"Do you know how she gains power, Coraline? She eats the children she lures into this world. Much power is gained from this, as well as trapping and making them happy. Sewing buttons into their eyes is just another way to make them powerless. Her true form was revealed when you realized things were not as they seemed. She loses power if children discover that she is not as wonderful as they first thought."

"I know this. How am I supposed to defeat her?"

Cat rolled his eyes, and licked a paw. "I'm not finished yet. Although I'm not completely certain, I believe the Beldam must be defeated in a non-violent way. She's too powerful to be stabbed or blown up or however you humans solve problems. You must try harder to figure out a way to destroy her, and it has nothing to do with anything you know of."

Coraline put her hands on her hips, and began to look around. "Great. So basically I'm powerless and know nothing?"

"You know nothing about _her, _that is." Cat gave the 12-year-old girl one last look, then ran off into the darkness.

She turned to Other Wybie, slightly frustrated. "He makes no sense. I have no idea how the real Wybie can deal with him everyday."

Other Wybie stared at her for a moment, then froze.

"What is it?"

"_Coraline! _Where are you!?"

Coraline's eyes grew wide and began to look frantically in all directions. "We've got to hide!" Other Wybie nodded, and grabbed her by the arm again. He tried taking her toward the garden, but soon realized that nothing was beyond the point of the house.

"What the--? How didn't we notice this before?" Coraline asked, as Other Wybie stopped in front of the gate. On the other side of the gate was only darkness, and no noticable sounds were heard.

Other Wybie bit his only hand nervously, and led her back toward the house. Before she could ask about the sudden darkness and anything else in particular, he shoved her in one of the nearby bushes.

"Wybie, she'll surely find us here! There's no where to run in this world," Coraline whispered, twiddling her thumbs to calm her nerves. Other Wybie shook his head, and pointed to himself. "I don't understand."

Other Wybie stared at nothing else in particular, his eyebrows scrunched together as if he were frustrated with himself. He suddenly got up, kissed Coraline gently on the cheek and ran off.

"Wybie! Where are you going?!" Coraline attempted to shout, but covered her mouth afterward. Her hand automatically went up to the spot where Other Wybie had kissed her, and lowered her head. "Wonderful. I'm trapped in a nightmarish world again _and _I just recieved my first kiss from a doll. And liked it." She brought her knees up to her chin and tried to relax.

_'You know nothing about her, that is.'_

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Wybie had sprinted into the Pink Palace as soon as his grandma told him it had been a half hour. He searched the whole house until his eyes lowered to the small door in the living room.

"Gramma... What have we done?" Wybie touched the door just as Coraline did the last time the Lovats were there, and felt horrible.

Mrs. Lovat stared in horror at the seemingly-harmless door in front of them, and shook her head. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have left her alone."

"You think?" Wybie pointed over to Coraline's chunky cell phone a few feet from the door, and stared at his grandma. "If we never left, this w-wouldn't have happened!" He turned back to the door, and attempted to open it.

It opened with ease, revealing the dark, cob-webbed tunnel that led to the Other World.

Mrs. Lovat slowly crouched beside her grandson, and peeked into the tunnel. Both of them stared in wonder at this until she said, "I guess it's time to make it up to her, then."

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**I almost know exactly where I'm going with this story now. Yes, I know Miss Spink and Forcible have randomly disappeared, but pretend that the theater show is extremely long. Okay? Okay.**

**I predict that this story will be about 10 chapters long, but who knows. Things change constantly while I'm writing. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: -steps in- Heh... It's certainly been a while, hasn't it? With my laptop completely dying, (the first version of this chapter died with it) school, and other distractions, I haven't been able to write. At all. **

**I know this chapter isn't much, but I needed to give you guys something after the wait of a lifetime. **

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Silence.

Coraline had to suppress the urge to groan, for the wait in the bush was far too long. For over twenty minutes now, the blue-haired girl had remained motionless in a little ball. Her soft but nervous breathing was the only sound she could hear, along with the occasional breaking of a twig.

Coraline shifted uncomfortably again. _'Where could he be?' _More importantly, where was everyone else? She had expected the Beldam to find her by now, soon to sew buttons into her eyes and eat her afterward. The weirdness of it all confused Coraline. It also made her more nervous, not knowing what was going to happen next.

Cat's mangy form had not approached her yet, and Coraline's nerves were about to get blocked by worry.

_'What if something happened to both of them?' _The thought made Coraline remember of the horrid dream she had only a few nights before. The Beldam hurting... and killing all of the people she was close to was horrible to see, even if it wasn't real at all. The possibility of this happening was still great, and she didn't want to take that chance.

Coraline took a deep breath. _'Well, it's worth a shot.' _

The 12-year-old girl stuck her head out of the bush, careful not to make much noise.

Her surroundings were quiet and vacant of any life. No button-eyed bugs were making a sound, and everything seemed more... creepy without noise. Coraline was always used to going outside at night and being overwhelmed with all the nighttime sounds around her. The noise seemed relaxing in the real world, but right now she was only feeling worried and guilty.

Coraline turned her gaze to the ground, and was surprised that something was there.

A book.

The old thing wasn't there before, and Coraline immediately thought that it was the doings of Other Wybie. _'No, that couldn't be it,' _her mind told herself. _'I never heard anything in the time that he was gone.' _

Coraline glanced around suspiciously, and once she knew no one was watching her, she picked up the book and retreated back inside the bush.

Once the book rested in her palms, Coraline got a better look at it. The leather cover was free of any title or writing at all. The spine also lacked words, and when she turned it over, the back was the same. The whole thing felt as though it were going to fall apart any second. The bindings were worn with age, and the visible pages were stained a yellowish brown.

_'Who would want a book with no title?' _ Coraline scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, staring blankly down at the boring book. With still shaking hands from earlier, she open the book.

Blank.

_'What the...?' _The blue haired girl flipped through each page; all missing words in which a proper book or story should have. She squinted in hopes of seeing words that were too tiny for her to see, but saw nothing.

"_Great_," she whispered, throwing the book down in frustration. Nothing seemed to be going right, and Coraline still didn't know what in the world was going on.

When Coraline started to glare at the book, she barely noticed a piece of loose paper sticking out between two pages. She tilted her head, knowing that she didn't see this while looking through the book.

With one hand, Coraline reached for the book again and brought it back to her face. She pulled the paper out from the middle of it, turning it over once it was in her grasp.

_'Ascend from darkness.'_

"What the crap is that supposed to mean?" she whispered again, looking at the words in all different angles. She highly doubted that there was a hidden message in these words, and heaved a great sigh. Nothing seemed to make sense.

As though an invisible force had told her to, Coraline climbed out of the bush with the note and book in one arm. Turning her attention away from the message, her eyes rested on the roof of the Other Pink Palace.

_'Okay, please don't tell me ascend means to go up.' _Coraline gave herself a mental slap for not paying attention in English, but something told her ascend did indeed mean 'to go up'.

_'The roof would be a nice hiding spot... for now.' _After a few moments Coraline's mind won over her nerves.

With a final glance at the note, Coraline made her way toward the house.

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"What a dump! I'm not surprised at all that an evil spider witch lives here."

Wybie and Mrs. Lovat had been crawling through the vast tunnel for what seemed like ages now. Mrs. Lovat was currently picking cob webs from her hair, muttering something incoherent about the situation they were in.

Wybie struggled to keep a sigh from escaping his mouth. His grandma had found it necessary to complain about everything through the tunnel, even if it had nothing to do with what they were doing. Wybie had insisted that he lead the way, but the request only made the elderly woman nag even more.

After Mrs. Lovat had got the last web out of her hair, Wybie decided to speak up, "G-Gramma, do you think Coraline is... okay?"

Mrs. Lovat was silenced, and her hands fell to rest in her lap. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for something to say. _Was _Coraline okay? Or had she already been devoured by the horrible monster that lay on the other side of the tunnel? "I'm... sure Coraline is doing fine so far," she managed to say. "No need to worry just yet. We're almost there."

Wybie tried to believe his gramma's words, but he wasn't sure. He began to crawl again, keeping a steady pace behind the other Lovat in front of him.

"Wait. I think I see light," Wybie announced, his voice low. A dim line of bright light sat only a few paces in front of them, allowing a soft glow to enter the tunnel.

Mrs. Lovat nodded, and didn't look back. "You're right. It's about time we get out of here."

Once they reached the door that was emitting the light, Mrs. Lovat stopped and searched for a knob. When a latch or knob didn't reach her fingers, she merely pushed the door open with her hands.

It swung open with ease.

The creaking that followed was loud, and Wybie had to ignore the urge to cover his ears. The noise seemed to echo around the room, making the darkness less inviting for them. The tiny light that was seen in the tunnel had been coming from the hallway across the room. Everything else was covered by shadows.

Wybie slapped a hand to his mouth when he felt something touch his arm. His spun around quickly, careful not to trip and fall over.

One of the neon furniture made to look like an insect stood beside him, it's glowing little legs brushing up against his trench coat. It tilted its head, looking more curious than malicious.

Wybie gave it a nervous little wave, then backed away toward his grandma. "This is so weird."

"It certainly is different," Mrs. Lovat said.

The bug furniture continued to stare at them; their beady eyes never turning away.

"What should we do?" Wybie whispered, finding the constant stare uncomfortable. Moving was a last resort for him right now.

Mrs. Lovat opened her mouth to say something, when a soft sound of something falling to the floor was heard. Both Lovats' attention was now by their feet, searching for whatever fell near them.

Instead, quiet laughter filled the room, causing the furniture to all look up in surprise.

Wybie froze on the spot, afraid to turn his gaze away from his shoes. Coraline had always flinched at the sound of laughter that was similar to this, if he remembered correctly. This sweet voice could only belong to the person that Coraline talked about the most.

A tall, slim shadow entered the room. A hand was placed on its hip, and the other hand couldn't be seen from the spot the Lovats were in. It stopped a few feet away from them, placing the hand that was hidden on a bug chair.

"I see you both have managed to get through the barrier," It said, stroking the insect chair's head. "Quite impressive. Children who I'm trying to capture have only been able to enter through the door."

Wybie was now certain that this monster was indeed the Other Mother, or the Beldam as Coraline had talked about her. He latched himself onto his grandma's arm, hoping that the Beldam wouldn't get any closer.

Mrs. Lovat clenched her teeth. "You! _You're _the one who took my sister away!"

The Beldam raised an eyebrow in the darkness. "Surprised? You always seemed more intelligent than your twin." She laughed again, and the Lovats seemed to feel the smirk in her voice, "But not smart enough to keep her safe at home, hmm?"

Mrs. Lovat attempted to lunge at the monster standing in front of her, but Wybie kept her back, careful not to hurt any frail bones in her arm.

Wybie knew that this wasn't the time to talk about the past. "Where's Coraline?" he asked, surprised at himself for not stuttering.

"You thought that I would have already taken care of her?" The Beldam said this as though it were a stupid idea. "Nonsense. I like to enjoy my prey before I eat them." Her newly required button eyes glinted.

Both Lovats seemed silenced, and they were unable to comment.

The Beldam made a sound close to a giggle, and lifted her hand away from the chair. "I'm going to let Coraline have her fun. It's more... interesting this way."

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_'Suicide isn't an option, Coraline.'_

Coraline had recently hoised herself up to the roof, almost falling to the ground in the process. The blue haired girl wasn't sure how she managed to get to the top of the house, and thought it was best not to think about it. Everything in this world was messed up.

Coraline glared into space, still confused about what happened earlier. Where was Other Wybie? What was Cat doing? Why hadn't the Beldam found her yet? Why did a blank book want her up on the roof?

She sighed, exhusted, and sat down uncomfortably. _'Why does it seem the only thing I've been doing is waiting?' _Her eyes threatened to close, and she quickly shook the tired feeling away. The dried blood on her head and arms were signs that she shouldn't let her guard down again.

When the wait became more than 5 minutes long, Coraline began to get impatient. What if this note had nothing to do with her, and was a message to someone else? It was likely. Still, she didn't want to walk anywhere else.

After about another minute, Coraline felt something cold touch her shoulder.

Her breath caught in her throat. She seemed to feel the color drain from her face, and she couldn't move. _'No, please don't let it be her.' _In fear of something happening to her, she spun around and attempted to punch what ever was behind her.

Coraline's arm only hit air. Trying to control her shaking limbs, she looked up.

A sad, pale blue ghost stared back at her.

Surprised by this, Coraline jerked away.

The spirit had long, wild hair that stuck out in all directions. A thin nightgown hung loose on her frail form. Its boney fingers were still outstretched toward Coraline, as though it hadn't noticed that she wasn't close anymore.

The feature that stood out the most were the bloody button eyes.

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**I know, another pointless chapter. Such a long wait for something so stupid, too.**

**No, the ghost/person is not another child that the Beldam captured. It's obviously someone that was murdered by her, though.**

**I'll reply to reviews in the next chapter. Farewell for now. **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Nothing much. All I have to say is: If you like Coraline, go and see 9. It's epic.**

_**Coraline Jones is the Best: I don't have an answer to that one yet. **_

_**delphigirl: You're getting chills? That's good~**_

_**AC/DC-FAN: Thanks! 8D**_

_**Jonesygrl11: I'm glad you like this story!**_

_**Mattie Scary: Thank yoooou!**_

_**The Capslock Savior: Thanks!**_

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"W-who are you?"

Once Coraline managed to get words out of her mouth, the silenced that followed was unbearable.

The spirit in front of her merely stared, as if it were studying the blue-haired girl in front of it. It's arm remained extended, shaking slightly.

Coraline swallowed, her throat dry. What was this... _thing _doing here? Why wasn't it saying anything at all? Just when she opened her mouth to say something else, the spirit raised a finger to silence her.

"I'm known as nothing nowadays," it said, bringing both hands back to its side. "I hide in this world, hoping that no one would disturb or find me. Only once has _she _noticed me here." Its voice was barely audible, but Coraline heard its words clearly.

Coraline stared blankly at the spirit, trying to comprehend what it was. She decided quickly that it had to be female, and had something to do with the Beldam. "I don't understand," Coraline replied, stepping closer to her.

The female spirit lowered her head. "Indeed you don't. That's why I'm here to explain...everything to you. I was relieved that you found the note, and I knew you had to meet me somewhere that _she _couldn't find me. Somewhere high up."

"How do you know the... Beldam?" Coraline was hesitant to call the spider witch Beldam, for she didn't know if this strange spirit called her that.

The spirit laughed humorlessly, as if the answer was obvious. "I don't just know her, child. I was her mother."

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Wybie was completely and utterly confused.

The Beldam, who was described to be malicious and evil, was making Mrs. Lovat and him breakfast. The things this witch did were impossible to predict.

Mrs. Lovat glared at her food as if it were a dead cat, while Wybie decided it was best to stare into space. The food was tempting, but what could be in it? Poison? Some kind of dark magic that made you do abnormal things?

Wybie pushed his food away at the thought, trying not to look disturbed. The tall, anorexic-like witch that stood in front of him continued to smile, seemingly unaffected by Wybie's expression.

Mrs. Lovat suddenly got up, her gaze on the floor. "I'm going outside."

The Beldam's smile only got bigger. "Really? You haven't even touched your breakfast yet." This witch treated everyone the same; child or not. She tapped her fingers on the counter, as if she were expecting something

"I'm afraid that I've lost my appetite," Mrs. Lovat spat, slowly making her way out of the room. Once she arrived at the nearest door, the Beldam appeared in front of her. Her eyes widened, and she took a step back. "How did you... do that?"

The Beldam crossed her arms over her chest. Her smile faltered, becoming more of a smirk. "That's not important. I believe you cannot leave this house until Coraline has been taken care of."

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_'WHAT?'_

Coraline staggered backwards, completely baffled by what she was just told. The Beldam--the most evil person to ever live--had a mother at one time. How could this be true?

"Huh?" was all Coraline could get out, and she soon felt stupid for saying it. _'Of course I understood what she said! It just doesn't make any sense.' _ Her eyes remained glued to the spirit, hoping that she would explain something that would make sense to her.

The spirit gave her something close to a smile. "You didn't think that she was just always a monster, did you?"

Coraline hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Nonsense. Everyone changes in some way. Even you. You've become a very different person after your experience here. You're a bit wiser, and you have learned to appreciate your family and everything they do for you."

Coraline's heart ached at the the thought of her parents. She quickly regained her composure, trying to look serious. "That is true. But..." She paused, "How did the Beldam become the... thing she is right now?"

Any trace of the spirit's smile--or the Beldam's mother's--was gone. "I've never told this story to anyone, so it might be hard to explain."

_'Everything about this world is hard to explain.' _Coraline sat down, looking quite interested. "I understand."

"That's good. But you might want to stand up for this."

Coraline raised an eyebrow, then hoisted herself back to her feet. "How does standing affect the story?"

The spirit pressed a hand to Coraline's forehead, and looked to the ground. "It's easier this way."

Before Coraline could ask anymore questions, she found herself losing her vision and balance. Her sight became blurry, and she couldn't tell if she was still standing or some other position. She desperately tried to reach out for something, but she see nor had any idea of her surroundings.

When the thought of unconsciousness became likely, Coraline felt grass under her feet. _'Strange,' _she thought, _'Wasn't I just on a roof? Oh well.' _She wriggled her toes, hoping that it would somehow bring her sight back. It surprisingly did.

The blue haired girl was standing only feet away from the Pink Palace. The grass around her looked greener, and the whole atmosphere seemed... different. If the sky wasn't so bright, Coraline would have been convinced she was still in the Other World.

The feature that told her that she wasn't home was that the Pink Palace looked new. Too new; as if it were just built. In fact, two men dressed in odd clothes were pulling out a FOR SALE sign out of the front yard.

"This is too weird," Coraline said aloud. She automatically glanced toward the men to see if they had heard her, but they remained focused on the sign. She put a finger to her cheek, knowing for a fact that she had spoken quite loudly.

The smell of fresh paint entered Coraline's nose, and she knew that the Pink Palace couldn't be that old. "Am I back in time?" She looked at the men again, and they were once again oblivious.

_'You are indeed,' _a quiet voice said in her ear. Coraline spun around, expecting to see the Beldam's mother or some other creepy person. Instead, there was only a horse-drawn carriage coming into the driveway.

"I don't remember my parents having a horse," Coraline said to the voice, "so I'm now positive I'm back in time."

_'Not entirely. This is more of a... memory of mine.'_ The voice said this as if it was hard to get out, and didn't say anything else.

Coraline raised an eyebrow, and kept her gaze on the carriage.

When the carriage stopped, there wasn't some fancy guy that was stearing the horse that got the people inside out. Coraline was surprised by this, because in every old movie someone would open the carriage for the people. Instead, the man guiding the horse merely smiled, and waited for whoever was inside to make their way out.

The first to step out was a young lady, who looked eerily like the spirit Coraline encountered earlier. She had a small smile on her face, which was barely seen behind the fan she was holding up.

_'She needs it, too,' _ Coraline thought, wrinkling her nose at the long sleeved dress the lady was wearing. It felt like the middle of summer, and wearing such a dress seemed like torture.

Once the lady got herself--and her dress--fully out of the carriage, out stepped a little girl.

Coraline's eyes widened at the sight. The little girl had long, black curls and a white bow tied to the top of her head. To match the bow, she was wearing a less torturous strapless dress. Frills and white lace covered the dress. But what was most noticeable was her very familiar smile.

Coraline covered her mouth when she realized who it was. She wobbled a bit, giving herself a mental smack for becoming so off balance when she was surprised. "It's her," she simply said, hoping the invisible voice would answer. Instead, she only heard the quiet murmurs of the people near the carriage.

"Do you like the house?" The prettier version of the Beldam's mother asked. She placed her hand on her daughter's shoulder; smiling slightly.

The Beldam returned the smile. "It's wonderful, mother."

Coraline had never seen the Beldam genuinely smile. Her smile was always fake, and the smirk she always wore was just as bad. Now, seeing this smaller version of the monster, Coraline had to keep reminding herself that it was truly _her. _

She took a step toward the family; curious as to what they were going to say next.

The man who was controlling the horse gave the Beldam a gentle pat on the back. "Good! Why don't you get settled in, then? I took a look at your room the other day, and I'm sure you'll love it."

The Beldam immediately sprinted in the direction of the house, almost tripping from the fast pace she was going. Her parents stayed behind; discussing some things about the new house.

"I don't get it," Coraline said. "She seems... perfectly happy with her family. It makes no sense that she would turn into a horrible monster."

The invisible voice spoke again, _'At this point in time it doesn't. It's best if we skip ahead.' _

Before Coraline even realized what was happening, she had appeared in the Pink Palace's kitchen.

Of course, this version of the kitchen was brighter and everything in the room looked brand new. The Beldam's smile was no longer there as she watched her father write things down on a piece of paper. His expression was blank, and he put a hand to his forehead.

"Is... mother going to be okay?" The Beldam asked; cocking her head to the side. She picked at the dark red dress she was wearing, as if to distract her from something else.

Her father didn't look up. "I'm sure she will. She just needs to rest in the hospital for a while."

Coraline watched this from around the corner, and she remained silent.

The Beldam looked to the floor. "How long will she be in the hospital?"

"I don't know everything, honey," her father sighed, only pausing briefly from writing. "All we know is that mother is very ill right now, and she needs some help." He patted his daughter on the shoulder. "Everything will be fine."

The Beldam nodded her head slowly, as if it were hard to do. "She's been gone for a week now."

"I know she has. It won't be long until she comes home."

The Beldam, who seemed slightly frustrated, didn't say anything else. She grabbed a button-eyed doll that was on the counter top and left the room.

Coraline opened her mouth to say something, but the invisible voice stopped her. _'We must follow her. Quickly,' _it said.

Coraline quickly followed the younger version of the psycho spider out of the house. She was walking at a fast pace, as if she were late for something. The button-eyed doll she was carrying dragged in the mud; making it look even more ugly than before.

"Where is she going?" Coraline asked, as she continued to follow her around the garden. The rate at which the Beldam was walking seemed to pick up as she went on. Her head was low, and Coraline couldn't see her expression behind the black curls.

_'She wants to get away. She was always smart as a child, and she knew from the beginning that I wasn't going to be okay.' _The sadness in the voice thickened as it finished the sentence.

Coraline stared at the ground for a moment, then continued to follow the Beldam.

After a few more minutes of half-jogging, the Beldam stopped at the side of the road. "Aw, look at you; you're a mess!" she said to the doll, wiping the mud away from its button eyes. She shook her head, and fixed the doll's dress. "Mother will have to fix you up when..." She stopped suddenly; holding the dirty doll closer to her. "Mother isn't coming home, is she?"

A soft, tingling of a bell was heard. The Beldam spun around, and so did Coraline. A purple, luminous tent seemed to have appeared out of no where, and was now settled at the side of the dirt road.

A man stood in front of the flap entrance; his hand inches away from a bell hanging from the top of the tent. A soft smile was hidden under his white mustache. He lacked white hair to match the mustache, but donned an old-looking brown suit.

The Beldam stared expressionless at him as he ran the bell again.

"What if I told you," he said, "that there was a way to save your dying mother?"

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**There you have it. Another pointless chapter lacking a good plot. There's a reason why the Beldam's parents haven't mentioned or said her name, and we'll get to that in the next chapter. **

**By the way, do you guys have any good name ideas? (No, this isn't the reason why no one has said her name yet. XD)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: This chapter is kind of longer than the others, which is why it took a while for me to write. I wasn't sure how it was going to end up, but in the end I just wrote what ever came to mind. Enjoy!**

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Coraline skin prickled at the sound of the old man's voice. Something about him wasn't right, and the way he had just... _appeared, _was very strange indeed. She slowly slipped to the other side of the street, despite the fact that the two people couldn't see or hear her anyway.

"Who is that?" Coraline whispered. The setting around her had grown eerily silent, and she felt like it was necessary to talk quietly.

The Beldam continued to study the old man and his tent, stroking the hair of her doll gently. The words of the old man had caught her off guard, and she wasn't sure how to respond. "Could you... do something like that?"

The old man's smile grew and he twirled the ends of his mustache. "Would you like me to... demonstrate?"

Coraline's paranoia toward the tent and man refused to go away. She shifted uncomfortably and moved closer to the two people. "What's going on?" she asked to anyone who could possibly be listening.

_'You will see,' _the invisible voice said in a more quiet tone.

Coraline once again turned her gaze to the Beldam, who was about to speak.

The Beldam nodded slowly. "Please do so, sir."

The old man merely flicked his wrist and a bright blue butterfly appeared in his hand. It was larger than most butterflies, and had an unusual pattern to its wings. The Beldam gasped in awe, clutching her button-eyed doll tightly.

The old man allowed the butterfly make its way onto the Beldam's hand. She smiled lightly, admiring it. "Just as easily as that," he said. "Your mother would be free of illness."

Letting the butterfly climb up her arm, the Beldam glanced toward the purple tent. "How would you be able to do this?"

"It's fairly easy," he replied, the smile never leaving his face. "Care to come inside and let me get the ingredients ready?"

Coraline felt the familiar nervous sensation return to her stomach. _'What could he possibly do? That butterfly trick was amazing, so... what could he do to heal her mother?'_

The voice spoke up again, _'His way of helping her is... quite different from that trick.'_

The Beldam finally nodded, seemingly hopeful. "Alright."

The old man led her inside the luminous tent, and Coraline was able to slip inside before he closed the flap. She knew something was up and couldn't get her nerves to calm down.

A small wooden table sat in the middle of the room, a thin cloth placed upon the surface. Many bottles of different colored substances sat on cabinets that lined the purple walls. Directly behind the wooden table was another table that was longer in size. Several bottles were standing on that table, including a covered jar.

"Have a seat," the old man said, letting the Beldam go in front of him.

The Beldam, who was barely holding her doll by the arm, made her way to the single chair next to the wooden table. She placed her hands upon her lap, watching the old man intently.

Grabbing several more bottles from the cabinets, the old man spoke again, "I've seen you in a sorrowful state for a while now. It's a pity that your mother suddenly became ill so very fast."

The Beldam's blank expression remained, and she lowered her head. "Yes. Father hasn't been the same since... the day that mother collapsed."

Coraline went farther in the tent to where the mysterious man stood. She was able to get quick glance at a dark substance before it was poured into a cup by the man.

The old man turned to give the Beldam a small smile. "Well... we'll just have to fix that, won't we?" He shook up another bottle before pouring the liquid inside into the same cup.

_We'll just have to fix that, won't we?_

The fake, sweet tone the man used was far to familiar to Coraline. She could feel her skin prickle, and the image of the present-day Beldam's smile returned to her mind. "What _is _he doing?" Coraline asked no one, staring at the cup that stood on the long table. The liquid inside was now the shade of green.

Coraline sucked in her breath as the old man pulled a rather large spider from a jar beside him. It squirmed, fighting to be released from his grip. The sight made Coraline shudder, and she took a few steps back.

A knife was soon in his other hand, and he began to cut the spider into smaller pieces.

The smaller pieces dropped into the cup, dissolving in the liquid as though it were never there. The Beldam stared curiously at the man's back, growing impatient at what the man was going to do for her.

"Is... he going to make her _drink _that?" Coraline said quietly. Was that the old man's way of 'fixing' things? Making the Beldam drink some unknown substance?

The man stuck the knife into his pant's pocket, and spun around to face the Beldam. "Here you are," he said to her, placing the cup near the button eyed doll.

The Beldam looked blankly at it, then up at the old man.

The smile on the old man's face returned. "This is magic. It grants any wish to the person that drinks from it."

"This is pathetic." Coraline snorted. "Why would she even believe such a thing?"

"But... Magic isn't real. Ist it?" The Beldam took a look inside the cup, expecting it to do something unusual.

"Oh, it's as real as the both of us. Not very many people know it exists, though. Magic is far too dangerous to...fall in the wrong hands." The old man's gaze wandered away somewhere close to the ground.

Coraline's suspicion of what was going on began to grow. None of it seemed right.

"So... if I drink this it will grant me a wish? _Any _wish?" The corners of the Beldam's mouth lifted, forming a hopeful smile.

"Any wish in the world," the old man said.

The Beldam attempted to bring the cup to her lips, but was stopped by the man. "No no, don't drink it here," he gushed, saying the sentence far too fast. "It's best if you make a wish... at your house."

Shortly after this statement, the Beldam left the tent with her doll and the cup. Coraline followed behind, finding it harder than before to keep up. The Beldam's movements were fast paced, and she twisted and turned around corners that she hadn't gone through before.

"Something's wrong," Coraline said, hoping the voice would answer. "The way that all happened wasn't normal at all."

Soon enough, the voice answered, _'You're correct. That event was far from normal. What happens next... I can barely stand to watch.'_

Coraline's heart rate grew faster, and she began to jog after the Beldam. The small girl's pace was far too fast, and she was in the biggest hurry to get home.

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"Where even _is _Coraline?"

After Mrs. Lovat's failed attempt to go outside the Other Pink Palace, she and Wybie were soon trapped in the grip of the insect furniture. The two Lovats sat side by side while their bug chairs blinked beady eyes down at them. The present day Beldam sat in a sofa not too far away, her interest in the situation never dwindling.

"I'm actually going to go fetch her shortly," The Beldam said in a casual tone. She tapped her long red fingernails on the armrest and stared at something near the floor. "It gets quite boring without a show, hm?"

Mrs. Lovat scowled. "You are the most foul and strangest being I have ever met." Wybie awkwardly looked from one chair to another, finding the beady stares very uncomfortable.

The Beldam smirked. "I take that as a compliment. If you two must know, an old... _friend _of mine is having an interesting discussion with her."

"Must it take this long?" Mrs. Lovat asked, finding the whole situation weird. What kind of villian would just sit here and wait for their enemy to return? The Beldam's lack of boredom was also odd, and she seemed to be getting more interested by the minute.

"Oh yes. She's being told one of my favorite stories."

"A _story_?" Wybie finally spoke up. "How could s-she be told a story at a time like this?"

"You two certainly are impatient." The Beldam's smile faded. "That doesn't surprise me. My mother was always the same way with things."

Mrs. Lovat chuckled. "_You _have a mother?"

"Emphasis on the _was. _But yes, I indeed did have a mother. I buried her myself."

Wybie's eyes widened, and the sight of the Beldam grew more unbarable to him. "Buried her...?"

"That's correct. And when she tried to get out, I simply put her back in."

The two Lovats exchanged glances, and decided to remain quiet until they came up with a reasonable plan to get out of there.

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"I'm home," the Beldam of the past mumbled, keeping a good eye on the cup in her palms. A smile had made its way on her face again as she stepped onto the Pink Palace's porch.

Coraline was a few steps behind. _'All that running with Wybie while exploring sure did do the trick. If it wasn't for that, I'd be having a heart attack right now.' _Shaking her head to get her thoughts back on what was currently happening, she made her way to where the Beldam was now sitting.

The Beldam sighed and looked at her button eyed doll. "Should I try it? After all, it could help mother get well." She glanced toward the cup again, biting her lip. "I don't think it would hurt to try. After all, its supposed to help."

Coraline's eyes widened and realization donned on her.

_Poison._

"It's poison!" Coraline shouted, glancing around quickly. The invisible voice was completely silent and no one appeared or heard her speak. _'That's how it plays out. She gets poisoned and by that she turns into a spider witch.'_

The Beldam hesitantly brought the cup to her mouth. "I wish I was strong enough to save my mother from death," she said.

"_Please don't do it_!" Coraline yelled in the loudest voice she could muster. She sprinted helplessly toward the Beldam in an attempt to knock the cup out of her hands. When she reached the small child, she went through her body as if she were a ghost. _'What...?' _

_'No one can see, hear or feel you,' _the voice hissed at last. _'This is just a memory and you have no control of what's about to happen.'_

Coraline's blood ran cold at these words and she turned around to face the Beldam. She was drinking from the cup as if her life depended on it, her button eyed doll laying on the wood flooring beside Beldam put the cup down shortly afterward, her face void of any emotion.

Coraline's vision suddenly became blurry, and everything around her seemed distorted. The next scenes before her eyes ran together like a fast-forwarded movie.

The sweet little girl with black curls turned into the dreadful monster known as the Beldam mixed in with many other unknown events. The spider witch was seen blind, writhing around until finally ripping the buttons off her doll and placing them on the hollow space where normal eyes should be. Somehow being able to see with these placed upon her face, she was seen murdering her father and her mother who came home shortly afterward.

The next few scenes must have been the Beldam wandering around the house alone for a long expansion of time. Eventually, she crawled through a little door in the living room. Not just any door. _The door. _In this little space behind the door, she created many things out of white nothingness with her newly acquired abilities. It seemed as though her old mind and thoughts were gone, and were replaced by something inhuman.

_The Ghost Children. _Each one were seen through the centuries fooled and murdered by the Beldam in ways that were all the same. _Trick. Sew. Kill. Eat. _That's how it all ended for the naive children. Their remains were tossed behind the mirror after all this was done, their spirits to wander aimlessly through the tiny space forever.

Coraline could barely take it any more after these images flashed before her eyes. _'Please! No more!' _she screamed in her head, wanting nothing but to return home.

Suddenly, Coraline's normal surroundings seemed to appear in a fraction of a second. Although most of her vision was blurred, she could tell she was back inside the Other Pink Palace.

_'Wait... Wasn't I just on the roof not too long ago?' _she thought, shaking her head in an attempt to get a clearer vision. _'I can't imagine myself sleepwalking off a roof and staying in one piece, but then again, everything makes no sense here.'_

The voice was back, and it spoke in a hushed voice, _'I'm terribly sorry I couldn't stop her! Your body's state at the time was weak and it was the perfect apporunity for her to take you.'_

"What?" Coraline spoke aloud, blinking her eyes rapidly. Her vision then became focused, and she could see that her body lay on the living room's carpet.

_'I must go now before she realizes I'm still around. Remember these words: Find what she treasures most.'_

Coraline shifted in her lying position. "Wait... what's going on?"

"It should be clear by now," the voice of the present day Beldam replied. The constant tapping of sharp fingernails was heard only feet away.

Coraline's stomach seemed to twist when the voice reached her ears. The mockingly sweet tone the nightmare always used never ceased to make her nervous. She lifted herself from the floor, turning to face what was now in front of her.

The Beldam was tapping her glinting button eyes again. "Well done, Coraline. You've managed to gain more knowledge of what I used to be." She chuckled lightly. "But you still have no way to rid of me forever."

Coraline's gaze remained icy cold, and her shaking hands clenched into fists. "Where is everyone? Mrs. Lovat, Wybie, Cat, and most of all... Other Wybie."

"I'm afraid they have no importance to me now," the Beldam said, sighing impatiently. "After all, it was just you and me to start with. And it's just going to be one of us in the end."

The blue haired stared, knowing this to be true.

"Game over, dear."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I pretty much wrote what came to mind in this chapter. Sorry if I haven't been describing clothes, I don't do that because I want you guys to be able to make up what they're wearing.**

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Wybie couldn't remember if he screamed or not when Cat's throat was slit.

The whole scene lasted no more than thirty seconds, but as he remembered it over and over again, it seemed to play back in slow motion... every detail and movement very vivid.

His old companion had been hiding in the same room that the Beldam was holding him and his Gramma, listening to every word that came out of their mouths. The Beldam was merely talking to them again, when she stopped in mid sentence. Some sort of emotion seemed to flash across her button eyes. She got up.

"Eavesdropping is not polite, _Vermin_," she hissed through clenched teeth. In a lightning quick motion, she swiped Cat out from under one of the insect sofas. He made inhuman growling sounds as he fearfully tried to escape the Beldam's grasp.

The Beldam, with her right hand on his throat, began to shake the cat violently. "If it wasn't for you interfering with everything I do, I would have already had Coraline to myself!" She smiled despite her current emotion, and Cat continued to struggle. "No need for forgiveness. Perhaps I should just get rid of you once and for all."

Wybie wasn't sure what Mrs. Lovat and him were doing. All he was aware of was the scene in front of him.

With a deafening screech, both of Cat's arms were snapped by the Beldam's left hand. She smiled sweetly at the animal's response. "There. Now you won't be able to _rip _my eyes out again!" The monster put a finger to her lips in mock thought. "But... This isn't good enough, is it? I think we need to fix something else."

Cat, unable to move his paws to defend himself, merely kicked his legs in a last attempt to free himself. The Beldam moved her right hand a little on his neck, and put a sharp, red fingernail to his furry throat. "Our game was fun while it lasted," the Beldam said. "But, there's always an end to games. And there's always one winner." With unbelievable quickness, she dug the knife-sharp fingernail into his throat, emitting a last yowl of pain from the animal.

Silence.

Shortly after, in the Beldam's rage, Wybie and Mrs. Lovat were thrown into the spot behind the mirror. The motionless body of Cat followed after them, lying not too far away from Wybie.

Now, Wybie's shock was starting to wear off. A strangled cry came from his throat, and he attempted to go over and touch his old friend. It didn't seem possible for the seemingly ageless cat to die. The way the carcass just lay there, unmoving, sickened Wybie and he resisted the urge to cry.

"How did that cat get here?" Mrs. Lovat whispered, her eyes wide and her bony hands shaking.

Wybie shook his head, and didn't respond.

The sound of shuffling feet suddenly was heard. Both Lovats became eerily quiet, and they stared in the dark abiss around them. The bed that once held the Ghost Children had vanished, and all that was left was darkness.

The distorted Other Wybie appeared in front of them, looking more sad and depressed than ever. Before Wybie could scream at this sight, his Other Self covered his mouth with a gloved hand.

Other Wybie put a finger to his lips, signaling for them to be as quiet as possible.

Wybie couldn't believe it. This Other Wybie that Coraline occasionally mentioned was real, but... why did he look so messed up? How was he alive?

"You must be Other Wybie," Mrs. Lovat said for Wybie. She stared at him blankly, and he stared back. "Coraline said you no longer existed in this world."

Other Wybie shook his head, his expression something close to a grimace.

"C-can you t-talk?" Wybie asked, and he received the same shaking head response. "Oh..."

Other Wybie changed his expression, and it was now serious. He made a few unknown movements with his hands, desperate to tell them something.

Mrs. Lovat gave him a sad look. "I'm afraid we don't understand."

Hitting himself a couple of times in his frustration, Other Wybie pointed a finger to where his non-existant heart should be. He pointed to his chest several times, never taking his gaze off the Lovats.

"H-he's trying to tell us something about a heart," Wybie whispered to his Gramma. "Do you want a heart, like the Tin Man?"

Other Wybie shook his head, and once again pointed to his chest.

Mrs. Lovat spoke up again, "Do you wish that we find one?"

Other Wybie gave her something close to a smile, and nodded quickly.

"It must b-be important, or he wouldn't be telling us this." Wybie scratched the back of his head. "Where can we find it? Will it help us?"

Other Wybie shrugged sadly, and nodded for the second question.

Wybie sighed, careful not to look at Cat's body. "This might take a while..."

* * *

Coraline barely had time to process what was happening when sharp fingernails sunk into her arm. This was similar to what her real mother did, except it didn't feel like a million tiny knives had buried themselves into her skin. The Beldam seemed to just appear in front of her, and was now trying to weaken the blue haired girl.

"_God! _That - _hurts!" _Coraline tried to say, as she struggled to get free. Through tear threatening eyes she glanced down at her arm, spotting decent amounts of blood appearing there. _'How is this even possible?'_

"What's wrong, honey? This is part of your losing prize." The Beldam said through clenched teeth. The corners of her red lips were lifted into a triumphant smile. "Congratuations. But this is nothing compared to the rest of the prize I'm going to give you."

Coraline screeched in pain and fear. She strongly yanked away from the Beldam's grasp, sprinting away at unbelievable speed. She knew that the Beldam would try much harder to get rid of her than last time she was in the Other World.

"Coraline, you are aware that I can munipulate everything around us... correct?"

Coraline's stomach twisted at these words, and she continued to run helplessly through the halls. She couldn't escape without her friends, so as much as it terrified her to keep running through the house, she did. The sound of clicking heels was heard not too far away.

'_The mirror! Why didn't I think of it before?!' _Coraline almost tripped over an end table as she ran toward the long hall that contained the mirror prison. Feeling as though her heart would explode, she made it to the mirror and pressed an ear to it. "_Guys!? _Are you in there!?"

Muffled replies were heard, and Coraline was half relieved and half horrified. "What did you say!?" She sucked in a breath as the clicking of heels got louder. Why was the Beldam walking so slow? Did she _want _Coraline to save her friends for some twisted reason?

"Find her heart!" screamed a voice from the other side. Coraline automatically knew that had to be Wybie's. "She has it hidden somewhere!"

Coraline answered, "How can she be living if she doesn't have her heart inside of her!?"

No reply.

"_Wybie!?"_

Those sharp fingernails grabbed Coraline's shoulder, and she was forced to spin around. The Beldam was no longer in her tall, anorexic form. She was now a full fledged spider witch, her matted hair covering most of the pale cracks in her face.

The Beldam picked Coraline up by the hair, a great pain going through the blue haired girl's neck. "Don't you understand that the game is over with? Aren't you _tired _of running away?" The needle fingers that gripped Coraline's scalp made her scream inhumanly. The Beldam smiled in response to this. "It's alright. I'm quite competitive myself."

With great force, the Beldam flung Coraline to the other side of the room. For a split second, Coraline couldn't feel the pain in her arm or the burning sensation in her head and chest. After that split second had passed, the blue haired girl crashed into the nearby wall.

Pain surged through her body and she couldn't find her voice to scream. She merely whimpered quietly and attempted to lift herself from the floor. The small pool of blood by her feet was ignored as she shakily stood up.

The whole room was a blur to Coraline, and the only thing that she could see perfectly was the Beldam's Cheshire Cat smile.

'_I'm going to die,' _her mind screamed at her, making her even more terrified than before. In a last attempt to get away, she wobbled toward the only place she could make it to: the basement.

The Beldam followed behind, finding Coraline's bravery and determination amusing.

Opening the door, Coraline shakily made it down the dark staircase, wondering how in the world she didn't collapse. _'Just keep going. If you're going to die, it's best if you try your hardest until the end.'_

Once she made it to the bottom, Coraline made her way over to the biggest blur in the room. It was a giant rectangular shape that held many sewing utensils and various cloth for dolls. This should have made the blue haired girl sick, but in her pain, she was quite disorientated.

There Coraline sat beside the rectangular shape, trying to catch her breath.

While Coraline had focused all her attention on getting to a safe spot, she hadn't noticed the Beldam was only inches away from her face now, holding a black blur out if front of her.

'_No!' _ Coraline's mind shouted back at her. The black blur suddenly became a large button before her, and now it was pressed to her right eye.

"It's okay darling, just hold still."

Coraline, finally aware what was going on, kicked the rectangular shape that stood beside her. It wobbled a bit, then fell over with a great crash. The Beldam recoiled for a few seconds, glaring at the damage. Coraline glanced over at where it had fell, and saw a small opening in the wall.

Attempting to kick the Beldam away, Coraline stretched out as far as she could to reach the hole in the wall. The needle that was heading toward her eye slashed across her cheek, and she gasped in pain.

"Don't you _dare _try to get away!" the Beldam screamed, trying to pull the helpless girl back.

Coraline stuck her hands in the wall, feeling something worth taking out. She took it in her hands quickly, grimacing at the pain.

The Beldam made a sound close to a growl. "If you open that box I'll finish you off right now!"

Coraline, ignoring the Beldam, struggled in her grasp and was able to open the box.

A live, beating heart sat inside.

Coraline swore that the sound the Beldam made next sounded fearful. Yanking with all her might, she pulled the button and the monster's hand off her right eye. How Coraline was able to get up and run to the other side of the room, she would never know.

"_Give it back!" _The Beldam's screams were very inhuman now, and the way she said that reminded Coraline of the taffy creature she had to fight not too long ago. The Beldam merely walked slowly toward Coraline, as if she were... afraid.

Coraline glanced quickly around, careful not to drop the box. She spotted several needles lying on a desk nearby. _'It's worth a try!' _ The blue haired girl grabbed all the needles, pressing them together like a very wide knife. Pointing the sharp ends at the heart, she stared at the Beldam.

"You don't deserve to live," Coraline said, her voice strong and loud.

"Please... _no_!" The Beldam screamed, in a last attempt to save herself.

'_Irene,' _the heart seemed to whisper. Coraline, who would normally freak out if a heart talked to her, merely nodded.

"Go to hell, Irene."

With those words, she stabbed the Beldam's heart.

* * *

**A/N: WHELP, I had to kill someone besides the Beldam in this story. I didn't have to, but y'know... I felt like it. -bricked-**

**Oh yes, and the name was completely random. The Beldam's heart would be the only thing to know her name because it used to be apart of her old human self. Get it? No? Oh well.**

**Sorry if you people were like "OMGWTF CORALINE DOESN'T CUSS." I was laying in bed this morning, sick, and I thought of her saying that. I don't know, I just thought it would be interesting for her to say something like that. After all, the Beldam did kill children, killed Cat, and tried to kill Coraline. So Coraline's right, she does deserve to go there.**

**There's going to be one or two chapters after this.**

**...I'm rambling, so I'm gonna go now.**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy or survive through this last part of the story. (I made it longer... just because)**

* * *

Horrible pain surged through Coraline's ears.

_'What is that?' _she was able to think over the pain. The blue haired girl's chest tightened as she realized that the Beldam's--or Irene's--inhuman screeches were causing the pain in her ears. The noise was so unbelievably loud, unlike anything she had ever heard.

When Coraline stabbed the beating heart in the box, it dissolved into a murky, black liquid. If Coraline hadn't been so disorientated at the time, she would have made a face at its disgusting appearance. Letting the box slip through her fingers, she looked up.

The Beldam was writhing around on the floor, her features becoming more and more skeleton like. The monster's hair had completely fallen out and now her head greatly resembled a cracked skull. "_If I must go there, then so shall you!" _she screamed in something that barely sounded like a voice. Coraline wasn't even sure if she spoke at all.

Coraline was barely even able to register the fact that the floor below her was slowly disappearing. Everything around them was turning into the white nothingness that Cat and her once walked through. Unable to make any loud noise, she whimpered at the sight.

The needles in Coraline's hands disappeared just like part of the floor, leaving behind not a trace of it once being there. She snapped her head up and noticed that the wall beside her was becoming transparent as well. She could barely see the soles of shoes above her.

The Beldam's screaming had become almost a silent noise in the background to Coraline's ears now. Even though the beast's heart had been stabbed and destroyed, she still attempted to crawl across the room.

"Go and die!" Coraline yelled, running out of the cramped workshop. _'If I don't get Wybie, his Gramma, and Cat out of here soon, we're done for!'_ As Coraline wobbled up the stairs, wincing, she suddenly remembered something.

Other Wybie.

Coraline's heart sank at the thought of the troubled doll. Where was he? _'Don't think about him now,' _her foggy mind told her. _'You need to save everyone else first!'_

Finally making it to the mirror, she saw that the barrier to the little room was barely visible. She could clearly see Wybie, Mrs. Lovat, and Other Wybie staring back at her. Their expressions were horrified, for they knew that the world around them was about to disappear.

"Where's Cat!?" Coraline still felt the need to scream as she frantically looked around. The sight of Other Wybie wasn't enough for her. "Is he nearby!?"

Coraline froze when her eyes lie upon Cat's dead corpse. Before she could start screaming even louder, Other Wybie stepped out of the transparent wall and covered her mouth. He put a gloved hand to his lips, and pointed in the direction of the living room with his other hand.

Wybie's expression was confused for a few moments, then Mrs. Lovat and him stepped out of the small room for themselves.

"Her world is vanishing!" Mrs. Lovat said with wide eyes. "We must escape; _quickly!_"

Before Coraline started to run in the direction of the door, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Through the next room's transparent floor she was barely able to see the Beldam clinging to the floor. Half it had vanished, and the Beldam was holding onto the end as if it were a cliff.

Although the Beldam's button eyes had disappeared, Coraline could sense that the monster's head was turned in her direction. With one more eardrum shattering scream, the Beldam fell into the white nothingness below the house.

That was the last time Coraline saw the Beldam.

"C-Coraline, focus! We need to get out of here!" Wybie cried, shaking Coraline gently. Nodding her head stiffly, Coraline led the way to the small door.

The 12-year-old girl had never been so happy to see a door in her life. The door which had caused her so much trouble was opened slightly, ready for them to crawl through the tunnel that lay inside.

Wybie tripped over a neon insect chair, before being helped up by Coraline. Normally she would have made a insulting comment about his clumsiness, but her mind was far from anything like that.

"Mrs. Lovat, you go first!" Coraline quickly opened the door for the elderly woman. Mrs. Lovat crawled through the door at a fast pace, telling Wybie to go in after her. "Wybie, you heard your Gramma, _go!_" Flinching at Coraline's tone, Wybie went in after his Gramma.

Pausing to take a nervous breath, she spun around to face Other Wybie. His only button eye was on her. The only hand he had, his right one, was playing with the fabric of his shirt. The frown on his face was unbearable to look at to Coraline.

Coraline bit her lip. "You'll turn to dust if you come with us, won't you?"

She barely saw Other Wybie nod, for the movement of his head was little. His gaze went to the barely visible floor, studying something that wasn't there.

"But if you stay here, you'll die too," Coraline said slowly, not able to take this all in.

Other Wybie was going to perish either way. The look that was crossing his face clearly said so. He took a step toward her and mouthed, _'I'm sorry.'_

Coraline's eyes grew wide as she realized he had mouthed something. Other Wybie had never done something like that before. "D-Don't be," she told him. He silently took her hand for a moment, savoring the moment.

"Coraline! We don't have much time!" Wybie's voice came from deep inside the tunnel, along with an incoherent statement from Mrs. Lovat.

Coraline called back, "I'm coming!" She turned back to Other Wybie, letting go of his hand. "I'm sorry we have to leave you like this... It's not fair for you."

Instead of replying, Other Wybie took a few steps back. The cliff-like thing that had formed at the end of the room was getting dangerously close to his feet. The wall and part of the floor had disappeared, and was replaced by white nothingness.

"Wybie? What are you..."

The troubled doll merely stared at her as he reached the edge of the remaining floor. Coraline's mouth dropped open and she put out a hand. "Wybie, don't--"

Before she could finish, Other Wybie let himself fall into the white abyss below them.

That's when Coraline fainted.

* * *

_'Did something scare her?'_

_'She's got awfully bad bruises and cuts, I'm afraid.'_

_'I don't understand... she was fine a few minutes before!'_

Coraline remembered being shaken violently on the floor before blacking out. The slight sensation of being carried was felt, but the blue haired girl saw nothing but blackness after that.

_'She's got an interesting bump on her head. Maybe she hit something?'_

_'No, she was... Ah, she's stirring!'_

Coraline groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The horrible pain in her throbbing head was back, and it was impossible to focus on the people in front of her. "W-Where am I...?"

Shortly after saying this, four people merged from the blurs in front of her eyes. Wybie, Mrs. Lovat, and Miss Spink and Forcible stared back at her. Their eyes were wide and concern was written all over their faces. Miss Spink held an ice pack in her hand, slowly retracting her arm from Coraline's head.

"You're in y-your room, Jonesy," Wybie said, a small smile settling on his lips. It was quickly replaced by a grimace, and he looked away from the multiple cuts on her face and arms.

Coraline scrunched her eyebrows together. "But we were--"

"We were all at my house," Mrs. Lovat cut in. She turned to the two elderly actresses. "My grandson and Coraline were riding on his homemade motorcycle--I constantly tell him it's unsafe--and while riding, Coraline managed to fall off and hit her head badly. The fall also gave her many cuts and bruises."

Coraline slowly understood, and she painfully nodded her head. "I can't remember much after that, but that's what happened."

Miss Forcible shook her head. "My goodness, Coraline. We leave for a couple of hours, and look what happens to you!"

The 12-year-old girl nearly jumped out of bed. "_Coraline? _Did you seriously just call me that?"

"Yes, of course, dearie. It is your name," Miss Spink said casually, putting down the ice pack. "We were very worried to find you in this state when we returned from the theatre!"

Coraline glanced from Wybie to Mrs. Lovat, surprised. "Um, well... okay. But you were only gone a few hours?"

Miss Forcible crossed the room. "Yes, yes. Didn't you realize? My, that must have been a nasty fall..."

Coraline silently thanked the Other World--as much as she hated the place--for its ability to alter time as it wished. Remembering the Beldam's last attempt to kill her, she said, "It was."

"Well, I think it's best we be on our way. Coraline needs her rest," Miss Spink replied, following Miss Forcible to the door. "We'll be downstairs if you need us, dearie."

The remaining people in the room waved robotically, until the two ladies had left.

"Right now... I'm really confused." Coraline rubbed her forehead, exhausted. The way everything had played out made no sense to her, especially the part where Miss Spink and Forcible--of all people--actually got her name right.

Wybie sat down on her bed next to her. "You fainted w-when the house was disappearing in the Other World. Gramma and I had to drag you through the tunnel as quickly as we could before everything disappeared. You're heavier than you look, you know."

Normally, Coraline would have given him a good punch for saying that. She stared back at him. "Other Wybie... he fell off the edge of the floor before everything disappeared."

"On purpose?" Mrs. Lovat asked. She had settled on the other side of Coraline's lying body.

Coraline let her eyes linger on the wall for a moment, then nodded. "H-He backed away from me until he fell. I don't know why." _'He couldn't bare to see me any longer,' _her mind told her, but she decided not to say that out loud.

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, until Wybie decided to ask, "So how did the Other Mother... er, die? Did she just fall through the floor in the end?"

"No. I found her heart that you were talking about. I destroyed it and I think that's what caused everything to disappear," Coraline explained, poking the largest wound on her arm. "Cat... must have fell, too."

Wybie nodded. "I... think he still needs a b-burial, even though we don't have his body. Y'know... because of trying to save you and stuff."

"He _did _save me last time."

"You're right, Wybourne, a last farewell is needed," Mrs. Lovat replied. She got up slowly, making her way toward the door. "We should go get some things to make somewhat of a memorial for the helpful cat."

"Lets go!" Coraline attempted to get up, but was soon stopped by Wybie. Mrs. Lovat had already exited the room, muttering something to herself about spiders.

"Coraline, you're o-obviously not well enough to run around outside," Wybie said.

Coraline folded her arms, wincing slightly. "What makes you think that I can't get up? I just defeated a giant spider witch in this condition, so I think I have enough energy to walk."

"Even when you're almost a zombie you still want to explore. I'm impressed."

She smirked. "That's just how awesome I am." Her expression quickly changed to serious. "But really, you have no idea how much I appreciate your grandma and you attempting to help. Without you telling me what to do, I probably wouldn't be here now."

Wybie tried not to grimace of the idea of Coraline being killed by the Beldam. "W-We couldn't have just stayed here and let you run around in that insane place. You needed some extra help."

Wondering why in the world she would do this, Coraline leaned over and kissed Wybie quickly on the cheek. "You're right, I did need some help. Thank you."

Wybie, who was now in shock, merely stared at her.

Coraline gave him the most annoyed look she could muster. "Well? What are you waiting for? Since I'm apparently too 'hurt' to go outside, you can go now." She made a shooing-like motion.

A blush creeping onto his cheeks, Wybie clumsily made it out of the room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Coraline grinned.

* * *

"Do you think it's enough?"

"Don't be an idiot! It's perfect, Wybie."

With her hands on her hips, Coraline stared at the little memorial made for Cat by a nearby tree. A large rock had been placed beside it, and written in chalk on the top was: _'CAT. R.I.P, OUR TIMELESS FRIEND'. _Smaller pebbles and various flowers had been placed around it.

Coraline knew this statement on the rock was true, for the black cat that once wandered around the area seemed to never grow older. His agelity and sense of hearing was as good as a very young cat. She smiled at the words again, taking a step back.

Wybie awkwardly messed with his skeleton gloves, then said, "M-Maybe we should go back inside. You're not--"

A soft, cat like noise was heard behind them. Sucking in her breath, Coraline spun around. What she expected to be Cat, meraciously alive, was a black kitten much smaller than the deceased feline.

The kitten's bright green eyes stared back up at them, and it merely said, "Meow."

Coraline exchanged shocked glances with Wybie. The kitten had just appeared out of no where, and Coraline didn't remember seeing anything black out of the corner of her eye.

"How...?" That was all Coraline could get out of her mouth. The kitten responded with another meow, then began to rub itself against the blue haired girl's legs.

"I've never seen this k-kitten before," Wybie replied, staring blankly down at the animal. It was purring now, weaving around the two of them.

"Where do you think it came from?"

The next look that the kitten gave her held the same knowledge that Cat's eyes had. It didn't make a noise this time, but stared at them as if to say, _'I know everything.'_

Coraline knew that if a 'normal' person had looked at this kitten, that they would think nothing of it's look of wisdom. She managed a smile, and said, "I think it's a friend of Cat's. There... must always be another cat to watch over this house and the people who live in it." She picked the kitten up, and scratched its ears.

"That could make sense... after everything I've seen," Wybie mused, smiling slightly at the kitten.

Nodding in acknowledgment to the rock, Coraline turned to the Pink Palace. "Shall I fetch you some food, Kitten?"

* * *

_**She **__was sitting in a large chair, not too far away from Coraline. Despite what had happened earlier, a hint of a smile rested apon her features. Instead of the monster-like appearance, she was merely in the form of a little girl... the person who she once was. After placing her hands on her lap, she said, "Do you know why I have summoned you here?"_

_Coraline, who would normally be afraid, stared back at the child in annoyance. "I thought we were finished. I'm tired of you bothering me in my dreams." The blue haired girl stood in white nothingness, for it was the only thing besides the chair that surrounded them._

_The Beldam's smile went away. "This is the last time you will be seeing me. My body has completely been destroyed, but my spirit will linger until I'm finished speaking with you." Before Coraline could ask, she added, "I'm not aware of the reasons for this."_

_Coraline stood in silence for a few moments. The Beldam's constant tapping of her fingernails wasn't heard, and the usual smirk that lay upon her lips wasn't present. She appeared to be telling the truth. "No, I don't know why we're both here. Care to explain?"_

_"You won, Coraline. You escaped my clutches twice, which is hard to believe. The other children I captured never even got past the sewing. They were too naive and innocent to see past my facade. But you... you were very clever and were able to save the children and destroy me. That is a big accomplishment."_

_"Your point is...?"_

_"Since you defeated me, you have a choice." The Beldam's green eyes seemed to glint just as her previous button eyes once did. "My world is open for you to use. You can take my place and create whatever your heart desires with the magic that I put behind the door. There are many others like I was, Coraline, and you could become one of them as well."_

_Coraline's stomach twisted at what came from the monster's lips. '__**You can take my place...**__' "No," Coraline shook her head. "I'll never become like you. You've murdered innocent children and ruined their families' lives. No one deserves to be hurt like that!"_

_"You don't understand, Coraline. Since my world is without an owner--a ruler to control and create things--it will call to you. You will be tempted to return and take my place as a witch."_

_The thought of being tempted to do things like murder people and create replicas of friends and family made Coraline even more disgusted. "I won't believe you," she spat. "I'll live a normal life and I won't let that... that nightmare control me."_

_The Beldam stood up, and strode over to the blue haired girl. "You won't last long. The need to be in that world will only grow stronger. It will take the person who seems best for the job... and that's you. I know this, because unspoken knowledge came from my transformation. Other beings like me exist. Everywhere. There is always room for another."_

_"This is only a dream," Coraline said aloud. "It can't be real!"_

_With a small smile, The Beldam replied, "Sometimes ridiculous ideas end up being the most realistic."_

Coraline shot up in bed. Her mouth was agape, but the usual scream didn't come out. The moonlight protruded through the window, making the setting around her look ghostly and somewhat beautiful. The covers, which she expected to be in a tangled mess on the floor, were spread neatly on the bed. Everything was... normal.

It was late at night, still in the day in which Coraline had defeated the Beldam. Her parents were not expected to come home for another 3 days. It was hard to comprehend that everything happened in a very short, 2 day time span. If no one had informed her of the date and time, Coraline would have thought a week or two had passed.

Taking in a breath, Coraline brought her knees to her chin. "It's all okay," she assured herself. "Mom and Dad will be home soon and everything will be normal again." _Normal. _Coraline longed for life to be normal again, but this house made the word seem impossible.

Before she could attempt to go back to sleep, something went off in her brain. She wasn't sure what it was... a creepy sensation that was indescribable. No, it wasn't that feeling she got when she was sick or was utterly afraid. It was something she had never experienced before.

She had the sudden desire to go in the living room.

_'I wonder...'_

**End.**

* * *

**There you have it. The crappiest ending in the world! Basically you decide how it ends. Does Coraline go back to the Other World and take over? Or does she end up being able to stay away from the door? **

**Any comments? Questions? Snide remarks? If so, please leave a review. **


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